At this time of year, it's not unusual to hear a lot more sniffling and sneezing around us - whether at home, while working in the office or as you pick the kids up from school. As the weather turns colder and winter approaches, it's inevitable that more of us will find ourselves feeling ill.
Scientists have said “flu is back” after a hiatus during the coronavirus pandemic, with levels of flu in England already on the rise despite many flu seasons peaking in December and January. Rates are estimated to be highest among five to 14-year-olds, with 12% of laboratory samples from this age group testing positive, according to the latest flu report.
But, overall, levels of flu are still low, meaning it is too early to predict how big the wave of infections will be. With coronavirus variants still circulating, as well as the common cold, sometimes it can be hard to know what's causing your illness.
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The NHS explains the main symptoms of the flu, covid and the common cold, but some of them can overlap. Their website does state, however, that the main differences between cold and flu is how quickly the symptoms come on and their severity.
Cold symptoms appear gradually and mainly affect your nose and throat, while flu symptoms can come on within just a few hours and impact more than just your nose and throat. A cold can make you feel unwell, but you should still be able to carry on with your day-to-day activities, but the flu can make you feel exhausted and too poorly to carry on as usual.
Cold symptoms
The NHS says the following are symptoms of a cold:
- a blocked or runny nose
- a sore throat
- headaches
- muscle aches
- coughs
- sneezing
- a raised temperature
- pressure in your ears and face
- loss of taste and smell
The symptoms are the same in adults and children. Sometimes symptoms last longer in children.
Flu symptoms
The NHS says the following are signs of the flu:
- a sudden high temperature
- an aching body
- feeling tired or exhausted
- a dry cough
- a sore throat
- a headache
- difficulty sleeping
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea or tummy pain
- feeling sick and being sick
The symptoms are similar for children, but they can also get pain in their ear and appear less active.
Coronavirus symptoms
The NHS say Covid-19 symptoms in both adults and children include:
- a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
- a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
- shortness of breath
- feeling tired or exhausted
- an aching body
- a headache
- a sore throat
- a blocked or runny nose
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea
- feeling sick or being sick
However the world's largest ongoing Covid-19 study has found that the top coronavirus symptoms to look out for vary from the official NHS guidance. In October, the ZOE COVID Study found that the top five Covid symptoms in those who had two vaccines were:
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Blocked nose
- Persistent cough
- Headache
For those who are unvaccinated, the top five Covid symptoms were:
- Headache
- Sore Throat
- Runny Nose
- Fever
- Persistent cough
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