As winter illnesses rise, a TV doctor has shared simple ways to tell colds, flu and Covid apart. Knowing what you're dealing with can help you get the right treatment.
Speaking on ITV's This Morning, women's health specialist and GP Dr Nighat Arif said it can be "really difficult" to tell between the conditions because they overlap so much. Even so, she explained there are some differences that can help point you in the right direction.
Key differences in symptoms
Understanding what you're up against can help you decide how best to recover. That could mean simple rest and fluids at home, over-the-counter remedies, or seeking further medical advice if symptoms become severe or linger.
Dr Nighat said the common cold is usually the mildest of the three. She explained that a cold "tends to be milder" than flu or Covid, adding: "I'm not saying colds can't turn into flu. They can do."
For many people, cold symptoms can include a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, a mild sore throat and feeling under the weather. A cold usually manifests without the intense, whole-body impact often linked with flu.
Flu and Covid symptoms
Flu is likely to come with more "severe symptoms", she said. These can include high temperatures, intense chills, "extreme amounts" of snot or phlegm, a possible sore throat, and aches and pains throughout the body. People often describe flu as being hit hard and fast, leaving them exhausted and unable to carry on as normal.
Covid can "sit between cold and flu" as variants continue to evolve, and Dr Nighat said symptoms are "very much" alike across all three illnesses - which is why so many people struggle to tell what they've caught at first. But she highlighted some signs that may be more suggestive of Covid.
She said: "With Covid, though, there's a loss of sense of smell, if you remember back to those symptoms in the pandemic. We know that with the flu or a cold, you might not get that. It's a change in taste as well that you can get with Covid. And, with Covid, you also get diarrhoea symptoms as well, which flu doesn't tend to classically cause."
Duration and next steps
Duration can also be a clue. Dr Nighat said most colds run their course in "about three days", while flu can last for "up to two weeks".
The NHS said: "[With Covid], most people feel better within a few weeks, but it can take longer to recover. For some people, it can be a more serious illness, and their symptoms can last longer."
People can often pass on cold, flu and Covid around the time symptoms begin, and sometimes just before. The risk is usually higher in the first few days, but it can vary depending on the virus and the person.
If you still have a fever or feel significantly unwell, you're more likely to be infectious. Trying to avoid close contact with vulnerable people until you're improving can reduce risk.
If you're not sure what you have, you can speak to a local pharmacist for advice on symptoms and treatments, or use NHS 111 Online to help assess your symptoms and find the right service if you need further support.
