The differences between covid-19, flu and cold

Cold, flu and covid-19 are very similar. What are the differences in infection, symptoms and duration?

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Cold, flu and covid-19 are very similar. Apart from self-or laboratory tests, what are the differences in respiratory diseases? Are the symptoms different? How quickly can you get infected and how long do the diseases last?

Respiratory diseases, for example, have some common symptoms.
This is how coughing, runny nose, neck and body pain occur. With flu and a Covid 19 infection, fever is also common. In the event of a cold, increased temperature and fever are rather rare.

How do colds differ, flu and covid-19?

Respiratory diseases such as cold, flu and covid-19 can be different-from symptomless to severe, sometimes life-threatening courses. While colds usually remain mild,Flu (influenza)andCOUBIL-19 (SARS-NO-2)cause severe symptoms.

Transfer & protective measures

All three diseases are mainly overDrop and aerosol infection(e.g. by sneezing, coughing or speaking).Flu and Covid-19are highly contagious, which is why similar protective measures are recommended:

  • Observe hygiene: Regular washing, coughing and sneezing in the elbow.
  • Lift rooms: Good air circulation reduces the virus load indoors.
  • Stay at home in the event of illness: Reduces the risk of infection for others.
  • Flu & Covid-19 vaccination: Protection against difficult courses is still recommended.
  • Masks (meaningful): In risk groups or heavily frequented interiors, wearing a mask can offer additional protection (still spread in Asia).
  • Covid-19 remains a serious disease, but due to vaccinations and immunity among the population, severe courses have become less common.
  • Ventilateremains a central measure against respiratory infections of all kinds.

What are typical cold symptoms?

Colds, often as"Flippal infection"Described, have nothing to do with the real flu (influenza). While the flu is caused by influenza viruses, colds are mostly the trigger for colds, humane seasonal corona viruses or other cold viruses. According to Robert Koch Institute (RKI), there are over 30 different virus trunks that can cause colds.

Typical symptoms of a cold:

  • Sniffles
  • Cough(mostly dry at the beginning, later productive)
  • Sore throat
  • Slight fatigue
  • Rarely increased temperature or fever
  • No sudden, serious start of illness(unlike flu)

Vaccination?

  • There is no vaccination against colds, because there are too many different pathogens.
  • AgainstFlu (influenza)On the other hand, there is an annual vaccination.
  • Covid-19 vaccinationsProtect against difficult courses, but not from colds through seasonal coronaviruses.

Can you distinguish covid-19 and flu from symptoms?

There are other differences between the cold, covid-19 and flu. The incubation period, i.e. the time between contagion and outbreak of the disease, are shorter in the event of a cold and flu. With a cold/flu, it can take one to four days after an infection until symptoms occur. With Covid-19 it usually takes longer, here symptoms can only occur four to 14 days after the infection.

The disease symptoms in a corona infection are similar to those of flu. It is also similar how difficult the symptoms of the respiratory disease occur. These can be different or even asymptomatic in diseased people, i.e. without signs of illness.

SeaRKIIs it "not possible to distinguish influenza, covid-19 and cold only on the basis of the symptoms." A clear diagnosis of distinguishing influenza and corona can only be determined by testing Sars-Cov-2.

Shopping-Tipp:In the cold time, theFluorecare sars-cov-2 slapfor quick certainty - he not only recognizesCrown, but alsoInfluenza A+B und RSV.Watch now at shop pharmacy*.

These symptoms can indicate flu or Covid-19:

  • Fever or increased temperature
  • Headache
  • Muscle and body aches
  • General feeling of illness
  • Irritant
  • Sore throat
  • Sniffles
  • Fatigue and exhaustion
  • Loss of taste and odor(Once a typical Covid 19 symptom, occurs less often today)

A notice:At the beginning of the pandemic, a sudden loss of odors and taste was a clear sign for Covid-19. The clinical picture has changed through virus mutations and vaccinations, so that Covid-19 now often manifests itself like flu or cold. The symptoms vary from person to person.

Protection by vaccinations:

  • There are vaccinations against flu (influenza) and Covid-19 that are recommended for risk groups, especially for risk groups by the constant vaccination commission (STIKO).
  • COVID-19 vaccines are regularly adapted to new virus variants.
  • The flu vaccination must be renewed annually because influenza viruses change quickly.

What is infectious covid-19 or flu?

Studiesshowed that the coronavirus is significantly more contagious than a flu virus. According to RKI, the R-value, i.e. the reproductive number of how many people can be infected by an infected person, is between 2.8 and 3.8 in the coronavirus. Depending on the virus variant, the infection could also be higher.

Heavy and life-threatening courses are also more common in Covid-19 than with the flu.
The mortality rate is also higher at Covid-19 than with the flu.
Unlike the flu, children and pregnant women at Covid-19 apparently do not belong to the risk group.

Sources:
gesund.bund.de
RKI
WHO

Important NOTE:This article only serves the information and does not replace a medical diagnosis. If uncertainties, urgent questions or acute complaints arise, you should contact your doctor or ask for advice in the pharmacy. Medical on -call duty can be reached via nationwide number 116117.