National Institutes of Health – Feeling sick can be stressful these days. Are your symptoms from COVID-19, the flu, a cold, or allergies? Many share similar signs, but knowing the cause can help you recover and protect others.
COVID-19 and the flu can be hard to tell apart because their symptoms overlap, and both are caused by different viruses that can spread, even before symptoms appear. Colds are viral and contagious but usually mild, causing runny nose, cough, congestion, or sore throat. Allergies can also cause sneezing and a runny nose, but they aren’t contagious and often include itching.
Fortunately, the same steps that help prevent COVID-19 also reduce the spread of the flu and colds, measures like masking and social distancing work against many respiratory viruses.
