As winter viruses ramp up across the UK, GP and actor Dr Amir Khan has outlined the key differences between having a cold, flu or Covid. Appearing on ITV's Lorraine, Dr Khan highlighted that one defining feature is how long it takes for symptoms to come on.
How each virus presents
Dr Khan noted that colds and flus are common throughout the winter months as immune systems are naturally weaker due to colder weather, shorter days and spending more time inside in close proximity to other people, which allows the spread of illnesses.
"There's three main kind of upper respiratory or respiratory tract viruses going round - the cold being the main one. Now, there's over 200 viruses that cause the common cold, which is why it's so hard to find a cure for it," he said.
"And the symptoms - everyone will know this - it creeps on you over a couple of days. Sore throat, hoarse voice, runny nose, and then a cough follows. It's usually confined to kind of the throat upwards. You might feel a bit poorly, but generally you can go about your day to day business. The key thing is rest, fluids, paracetamol."
Flu and Covid symptoms compared
Dr Khan continued: "Flu is the other one caused by the influenza viruses, another group of viruses. This is different to a cold. You could wake up feeling completely fine and normal, and by the afternoon, you feel like you've been hit by a truck."
"The whole body system is involved, so you might get all the sore throat and runny nose and headache, but you get that full body ache, that overwhelming tiredness. You can't do anything. So relax, stay at home, if you can. And then you just wait until it gets better. But people who are at high risk are older people, young babies, pregnant women. If you think you've got the flu, you can go and see your doctor who can give you some antiviral treatment to try and stop any serious complications."
Moving on to Covid, Dr Khan said: "And then the third one, of course, is COVID... it's caused by the SARS cough two virus. Now, this is very different. It's different to flu, and it's different to a cold. Some people, yes, of course, get very mild or no symptoms. Other people get full body symptoms, the loss of sense, the smell, the aches, and pains."
Long Covid risks
Dr Khan then discussed the risks of long Covid, adding: "The real danger is, of course, long COVID, and we just don't know, it's so unpredictable who's going to get it."
"That shortness of breath, that loss of sense of smell, that ongoing cough, fatigue, all of those things, brain fog that come with long COVID, so difficult to treat. There'll be lots of people watching this who are struggling with that disease."
