The flu, a cold, allergies, or coronavirus? Your symptom guide for this year’s flu season
Whether you’re sneezing, coughing, or feeling achy, sometimes it’s difficult to know what’s causing your symptoms. Is this just a cold? Are my allergies acting up? Or is this something more serious?
Now that COVID-19 is in our communities, sorting through your symptoms can be even more confusing—and stressful. Assistant Vice President of Clinical and Operational Excellence, Allison Guste, RN, BSN, CPHQ, is here to share what you need to know to help keep your mind at ease and get back to feeling your best.
Both flu and COVID-19 can cause mild to severe illness with many common sign and symptoms, however, one difference to note is the loss of taste or smell, which is unique to COVID-19.
“It is difficult to tell the difference between the flu and COVID-19 by symptoms alone. That is why it is important for you to get vaccinated against the flu this year,” explained Guste. “By vaccinating, you can decrease your chances of getting sick with the flu. If you do have symptoms of the flu or COVID-19, it is important that you isolate at home and contact your healthcare provider.”
Compared to the flu and COVID-19, a common cold usually doesn’t cause a fever and has milder symptoms.
Unlike the flu, COVID-19, and the common cold, allergy symptoms do not include body aches, muscle pains, or a fever.
How do they compare?
Flu | Coronavirus | Cold | Allergies | |
Onset | Symptoms develop abruptly | Symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure | Symptoms tend to develop slowly | Symptoms come and go with the seasons |
Duration | Less than two weeks | A few days to a week for most people | About 7 to 10 days | Several weeks |
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Symptom Guide
Symptoms | Cold | Flu | Allergies | COVID-19 |
Fever/Chills | Rare | High (100-102 F), can last 3-4 days | Never | Common (100 F or higher) |
Headache | Can be Present | Intense | Uncommon | Sometimes |
General Aches, Pain | Slight | Usual, Often Severe | Never | Sometimes |
Fatigue, Weakness | Mild | Intense, Can last up to 2-3 weeks | Sometimes | Sometimes |
Extreme Exhaustion | Never | Usual (Starts Early) | Never | Sometimes (Progresses Slowly) |
Stuffy / Runny Nose | Common | Sometimes | Common | Rare |
Sneezing | Usual | Sometimes | Usual | Rare |
Sore Throat | Common | Common | Sometimes | Rare |
Cough | Mild | Common, can become severe | Sometimes due to postnasal drip | Common |
Shortness of Breath | Rare | Rare | Rare, except for those with allergic asthma | In more serious infections |
Loss of Taste and Smell | Never | Can be present | ||
Itchy Eyes, Nose | Uncommon | Uncommon | Common | Uncommon |
Diarrhea, Nausea, Vomitting | Never | Uncommon in Adults, Can be Present in Children | Never | Less Common |
Fighting against the flu
The simple truth is that the best way to defend yourself and your family against the flu is to get the flu vaccine.
“Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination,” said Guste. “These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are used to make the vaccine.”
The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season.
Vaccines are especially important for those who are most at risk for having complications with the flu:
- Children younger than 5 years, and especially younger than 2 years
- People 65 years and older
- Those with long-term (chronic) health conditions or a weak immune system
- Anyone who lives in a nursing home or care facility
- Pregnant women and women who have had a baby in the last 2 weeks
- American Indians and Alaska Natives
- People with a body mass index of 40 or more
Even if you don't fall into one of the above groups, you should still get the vaccine if you want to prevent the flu.
How often should I get a flu shot?
The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older with rare exception.
“The reason for this is that a person’s immune protection from vaccination declines over time, so an annual vaccination is needed to get the best protection against the flu,” said Guste. “Also, the flu viruses are constantly changing, so the vaccine makeup is reviewed each year and updated as needed based on which flu viruses are making people sick.”
What’s in a flu vaccine?
There are three different influenza vaccine production technologies approved by the FDA: egg-based, cell-based, and recombinant flu vaccine.
“The most common way that flu vaccines are made is using an egg-based manufacturing process, which has been used for more than 70 years.,” said Guste. “Egg-based vaccine manufacturing is used to make both inactivated (killed) vaccines, usually called the ‘flu shot’, and live attenuated (weakened) vaccines, usually called the ‘nasal spray flu vaccine’. In the inactivated (killed) vaccine, the virus particles lose their disease producing capacity.”
A common misconception is that getting a flu vaccine will cause you to get the flu.
“Flu shots cannot cause flu illness,” confirmed Guste. “Flu shots are made with inactivated or killed viruses, and these virus particles lose their disease producing capacity. The nasal spray vaccine contains live viruses that are attenuated (weakened) so that they will not cause illness.”
Other preventative steps
Other steps you can take to protect you and your loved ones from the flu include:
- Washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before eating and after touching high-contact areas, like doorknobs and desks
- Clean surfaces with disinfectant wipes or a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water
- Try to keep your hands away from your mouth and face
Talk with your healthcare provider
According to the CDC, there are situations when you should not get a vaccine because they could cause other health issues. Talk with your healthcare provider if:
- You have a severe allergy to chicken eggs. This means more than itchy skin. You will be advised to get your flu shot in a medical setting where a healthcare provider can monitor you and give emergency care if needed for a severe reaction.
- You developed Guillain-Barré syndrome in the 6 weeks after getting a flu shot in the past.
- You currently have an illness with a fever. Wait until symptoms get better before getting the vaccine.
Children younger than 6 months of age should not be vaccinated against the flu. Flu vaccines haven't been approved for that age group.
Think you know about the flu? Take our flu quiz to test your knowledge.
Allison Guste, RN, BSN, is Assistant Vice President of Clinical and Operational Excellence for LCMC Health. In this role, she provides leadership and coordination in the clinical regulatory compliance and governmental incentive program domain, as well as leading system-wide patient safety and infection control initiatives. She facilitates the continuous performance improvement efforts of the organization and assists in tracking and communicating performance surrounding the LCMC Health Journey to High Reliability and Habitual Excellence. She has been in health care for 15 years, starting her career as an Emergency Department nurse and then transitioning to a large cardiology practice where she found her love for quality and healthcare management. Most recently, prior to joining LCMC Health in 2018, she was Chief Operations Officer at the LSU Healthcare Network, having been promoted from the position of Director of Clinic Operations and Quality Programs.