Figuring out if you have COVID-19 vs. the flu can be a challenge. With both seasonal flu and coronavirus hitting their peak right about now, it’s important to know the signs of each illness. But these two viral infections have several overlapping symptoms, so it’s not always clear which one you might have.
First off, it’s crucial to recognize that while these two infections may have some overlap, they are not the same thing. The flu can be deadly, and the last flu season caused up to 62,000 deaths in the U.S., according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). But COVID-19 is even more serious. To date there have been at least 247,000 deaths due to the coronavirus in the U.S., the CDC says, although the real number is likely higher due to undercounting. It’s important to know which illness you’re actually dealing with.
Symptoms of COVID-19 vs. the flu:
These two illnesses do have many symptoms in common, the CDC says. Both infections may cause:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Sore throat
- Difficulty breathing
- Headache
- Runny nose or congestion
- Muscle aches
- Nausea, vomiting, or other G.I. issues
One big difference between these illnesses is that people with COVID-19 may also lose their sense of taste and/or smell, but this is usually not a symptom associated with the flu.
For both of these diseases, there may be at least one day between when you become infected and when you start showing symptoms. It’s also possible for people who have either disease to spread it during this time before they notice any symptoms. But it generally takes longer for someone with COVID-19 to start showing symptoms after being exposed to the virus (up to 14 days) than it takes for someone with the flu to have symptoms.
Who is most at risk for these illnesses?
Those who have the flu generally have mild to moderate illnesses, although it can become more serious for people in certain high-risk groups, including young children, pregnant people, older adults, and those with certain underlying health conditions, the CDC says. Those conditions include heart disease, asthma, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease.
A COVID-19 infection can also cause severe complications in certain people with underlying health conditions or risk factors. People who are at a higher risk for severe COVID-19 illnesses include older adults, people with some underlying health conditions (such as cancer, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and sickle cell disease), and pregnant people, according to the CDC. Although children are not generally at a higher risk for severe coronavirus complications, they are at a higher risk for one particularly rare condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), the Mayo Clinic says.
Treatment for COVID-19 is different from standard flu treatment.
For most people the flu doesn’t require medical treatment outside of self-care at home. But if you’re at risk for severe flu complications, your doctor may prescribe antiviral drugs (such as Tamiflu) that can shorten the length of a flu illness and possibly make it less severe. Also, if you get the flu vaccine and still get the flu, that will likely help reduce the severity of your illness. As a reminder, it’s not possible to get the flu from the flu vaccine.
But there is currently only one treatment for COVID-19 that’s been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): remdesivir, an antiviral medication taken via I.V. Other treatment options have received emergency-use authorizations from the FDA and may be used on an experimental basis (such as convalescent plasma), and other medications may be used to manage symptoms (such as the corticosteroid dexamethasone or blood thinners to prevent clots). Although there are a few promising COVID-19 vaccine candidates out there, none has been authorized or approved by the FDA yet.
If you have symptoms of either illness, talk to your doctor for guidance on testing.
Because COVID-19 and the flu share so many symptoms, it may not be possible for even your doctor to tell which one you have based on observation alone. That’s when testing (for the flu and/or coronavirus) comes in handy. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, even if you think they might not be related to coronavirus, it’s important to check in with a health care professional to get their recommendations on testing, isolating, and treatment. If you’re not sure whether your symptoms warrant a call to the doctor, use the CDC’s self-checker tool for a little more clarity.
As a reminder, the best way to keep yourself and those around you safe from both COVID-19 and the flu this winter is to stay socially distanced, avoid crowds, wash your hands frequently, wear a mask when in public, and get your flu vaccine if you haven’t already.