COVID-19 and Flu: Know the Symptoms
Both the flu and COVID-19 cause respiratory symptoms. Common symptoms can include:
- Fever or feeling feverish/having chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle pain or body aches
- Headache
- Vomiting and diarrhea (more common in children than adults)
- Change in or loss of taste or smell, although this is more frequent with COVID-19.
People who have the viruses that cause flu and COVID-19 can also experience no symptoms (be asymptomatic), or mild to serve symptoms. COVID-19 is much more likely to cause severe illness than the flu; however, every year people are hospitalized and die from flu-related complications.
For both COVID-19 and flu, it is possible to spread the virus before experiencing symptoms if you are sick. People who have the flu are contagious for about one day before they start having symptoms. Most children and adults with flu appear to be contagious during the first 3-4 days of their illness. Some people may remain contagious for about seven days. Infants and people with compromised immune systems can be contagious for longer periods.
People with COVID-19 can spread the virus for about two days before they experience signs or symptoms (possibly earlier) and remain contagious for at least 10 days after signs and symptoms first appeared. If someone does not have symptoms or their symptoms go away, it is possible they may be contagious for at least 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19. People who have been severely ill and hospitalized and people who are immunocompromised can be contagious for 20 days or longer.
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