After almost eighteen months of handwashing, mask-wearing, and distancing; getting fully vaccinated, and then getting a flu shot on top of that, I woke up the other morning with a sore throat.
Oh no.
Next came the stuffy nose and coughing. I thought to myself; “Are you kidding me??”
I took a COVID self-test. The result was negative. I took my temperature. No fever. I felt relieved and thought immediately that I wasn’t sick. But my stuffy nose and sore throat were telling me something different. And then it struck me. Remember the common cold? The thing most of used to get before all the handwashing and distancing? That’s what I had. Bring on the hot lemon and tissues.
With COVID restrictions lifting in many areas and people start to gather once again, colds are bound to rear their ugly heads. If you’re feeling under the weather, how do you know if it’s the coronavirus, influenza, or just a pesky autumn cold?
According to healthing.ca, it’s easy to confuse flu and a cold, though the flu typically comes with more severe symptoms.
If you’re suffering from a cold or the flu, you might experience cough, chest discomfort, aches and pains, headache, tiredness, a sore throat, and a stuffy, or runny nose. The difference lies in the intensity of the symptoms. Health Canada notes that while a cold may make you feel tired, you might be entirely bedridden with the flu. Headache, body pains and cough may also be much more severe with flu, compared to the common cold. Health Canada also indicates that while it’s common to feel chills when you have a cold, a fever is rare. Fever appears to be a more likely symptom of the flu.
One of the major differences between the flu and COVID-19 is the change in or loss of taste or smell as being more common in COVID-19 cases. Fever can occur in both COVID-19 and the flu but is less likely with the common cold. However, it is possible to have the virus and not experience a fever.
As healthing.ca explains it’s always a good idea to reach out to your doctor or local health service if you have concerns. Health Canada also has a self-assessment tool to help you distinguish between the symptoms of a cold or flu versus coronavirus. Check it out at Canada.ca.
