(Courtesy of Parkview Pharmacy) The common cold, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), flu (influenza), and COVID are all respiratory illnesses caused by different viruses. While they share some symptoms, there are key differences:
Common Cold
- Cause: Rhinoviruses (most common), coronaviruses, adenoviruses
- Symptoms: Mild symptoms including sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, mild cough, slight fatigue
- Fever: Rare
- Onset: Gradual
- Duration: 5-10 days
- Severity: Mild, rarely leads to complications
RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)
- Cause: Respiratory syncytial virus
- Symptoms: Similar to a cold but can be more severe in infants and older adults
- Runny nose, cough, wheezing, difficulty breathing (in severe cases)
- Fever: Possible, especially in young children
- Onset: Gradual
- Duration: 1-2 weeks
- Severity: Can cause bronchiolitis or pneumonia in infants, elderly, or immunocompromised individuals
Flu (Influenza)
- Cause: Influenza A or B viruses
- Symptoms: More intense than a cold
- High fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion
- Fever: Common, often high
- Onset: Sudden (within a few hours)
- Duration: 1-2 weeks
- Severity: Can lead to pneumonia, hospitalization and complications (higher risk in elderly, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions)
COVID
- Cause: SARS-CoV-2 virus
- Symptoms: Varies, can be mild to severe
- Fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, sore throat, congestion, headache, loss of taste/smell (unique symptom), body aches
- Fever: Common but not always present
- Onset: Gradual or sudden
- Duration: Mild cases: 1-2 weeks, severe cases, longer
Severity: Can lead to pneumonia, long-term complications (Long COVID), hospitalization and death (higher risk for elderly and immunocompromised)
Key Differences:
| Feature | Common Cold | RSV | Flu | COVID-19 |
| Onset | Gradual | Gradual | Sudden | Gradual/Sudden |
| Fever | Rare | Sometimes | Common | Common |
| Body Aches | Mild/None | Sometimes | Common | Common |
| Fatigue | Mild | Moderate | Severe | Severe |
| Cough | Mild/Moderate | Severe (wheezing in kids) | Common | Common |
| Loss of Taste/Smell | Rare | Rare | Rare | Common |
| Shortness of Breath | No | Severe in infants/elderly | Sometimes | Common |
| Complications | Rare | Pneumonia, bronchiolitis | Pneumonia, hospitalization | Pneumonia, blood clots, Long COVID |
If symptoms are severe, especially difficulty breathing, seek medical attention. Testing is the only way to confirm flu, RSV or COVID.
Leave a Comment
