Is It a Cold or COVID? What Your Symptoms Can (and Can’t) Tell You
Key takeaways:
The common cold and COVID-19 share many symptoms like sore throat, runny nose, and congestion.
COVID is more likely to cause loss of taste and smell, chills, high fever, and shortness of breath. But not everyone with COVID develops these symptoms.
The only way to know for sure whether you have COVID or a common cold is to get a COVID test.
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Cold and flu season is when most people have a higher chance of getting sick with viruses that cause the common cold. But it’s also when you’re more likely to get sick with other viruses — like the flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19.
Knowing whether you have COVID or the common cold can have a big impact on your day-to-day life. If you have COVID, you’ll need to isolate yourself and stay home from work or school. You may also need to take medication to prevent serious COVID-related illness.
So, how can you tell if you have COVID or just a common cold? Let’s take a look at how your symptoms can — and can’t — help you decide.
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What is the difference between COVID and the common cold?
COVID and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses caused by viruses.
COVID is caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2, but the common cold can be caused by more than 200 viruses.
A common cold usually refers to an upper respiratory tract illness. Upper respiratory tract illnesses affect your eyes, nose, mouth, and throat. Most common cold viruses don’t affect other parts of the body.
COVID can also cause upper respiratory tract illnesses. But COVID can also cause lower respiratory tract illnesses, like pneumonia or bronchitis. These can lead to more serious symptoms, like difficulty breathing and shortness of breath.
COVID can also cause symptoms outside the respiratory system and lead to body-wide inflammation. This makes it a potentially more serious virus than those that cause the common cold.
COVID vs. cold symptoms
Both the common cold and COVID affect the upper respiratory tract, so they can cause similar symptoms. This makes it difficult to tell whether you have a cold or COVID based on just your symptoms.
But COVID can cause additional (and more serious) symptoms. So, if you develop these additional symptoms, it can be an important clue that you’re experiencing COVID and not just a cold. Here’s a breakdown of how COVID and cold symptoms compare.
Symptoms caused by both COVID and the common cold
Some symptoms shared by both COVID and the common cold include:
Sore throat
Cough
Headache
Runny nose
Stuffy nose
Red eyes
Tiredness/fatigue
Symptoms caused by COVID
Some symptoms are common during a COVID illness, but they rarely happen when you have a common cold. If you develop these symptoms, it can be a sign that you have COVID:
Fever
Chills
Shortness of breath
Trouble breathing
Muscle aches
Rash
Loss of taste or smell
What if my symptoms match both illnesses?
If you don’t have any COVID-specific symptoms, like loss of taste or smell, fever, or trouble breathing, you’ll need a COVID test to tell whether or not you have COVID.
A COVID test is the only way to know for sure if you have COVID or not. Your symptoms may provide important clues, but they can’t tell you for sure whether or not you have COVID.
There are many COVID tests available, including at-home rapid test kits that are available without a prescription at local pharmacies. If you don’t have any kits at home or can’t find them at the store, you can get a test at an urgent care center or your healthcare provider’s office. Some retail pharmacies also offer drive-through COVID testing.
Treatment for COVID vs. a common cold
There’s no cure for the common cold or COVID. But there are treatments for COVID that can lower your risk of developing serious COVID illness. These treatments include Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir / ritonavir) and Lagevrio (molnupiravir). These treatments work best if you start taking them within 5 to 7 days of when you first develop symptoms. So, if you think you might have COVID, get tested as soon as possible.
There aren’t any treatments that can make the common cold go away faster. But there are common cold treatments that can make you more comfortable while you wait for your immune system to fight off the virus causing your cold. Some of these home remedies and over-the-counter (OTC) treatments can also help relieve mild COVID symptoms.
Here are a few to try:
Rest: Whether you have a cold or COVID, it is important to get plenty of rest. This will let your body recover and give your immune system time to fight off the virus.
Fluids: Make sure to drink water and electrolyte drinks so you can stay hydrated. Keeping hydrated helps your immune system work properly. It also thins out your mucus, which can relieve congestion and a stuffy nose.
Fever relievers: OTC pain and fever relievers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Aleve, Motrin) can help reduce fever, body aches, and headaches.
Sore throat remedies: Honey, tea, and lozenges are common sore throat remedies that can ease discomfort and scratchy throat from COVID and the common cold.
Humidifiers: Humidifiers add moisture to the air, which thins out mucus and helps relieve nasal congestion and stuffiness. For added relief, add nasal saline rinses with a neti pot.
If you have COVID, it’s also important to self-isolate and wear a mask around others. The CDC isolation calculator can help you determine how long you need to isolate and wear a mask.
Seek urgent medical attention if you develop more serious COVID symptoms, such as:
Fever
Shivering or feeling cold
Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
Rapid breathing
High heart rate (over 100 beats per minute) or a feeling that the heart is racing
Confusion or trouble thinking clearly
Severe fatigue and weakness
Inability to eat or drink
The bottom line
COVID and the common cold can cause very similar symptoms like cough, congestion, runny nose, and sore throat. But COVID can also cause additional symptoms like fever, trouble breathing, and loss of taste or smell. It can be very difficult (or impossible) to tell whether you have COVID or a cold from just your symptoms. A COVID test is the only way to know for sure whether or not you have COVID.
Why trust our experts?
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Symptoms of COVID-19.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Common cold.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). COVID-19 treatments and medications.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Isolation and precautions for people with COVID-19.
