COVID vs. the Common Cold: A Timeline

When you start to feel like you’re coming down with something, it’s natural to want to do everything possible to feel better fast. But it can be hard to tell what you have, especially since newer COVID strains can feel a lot like the common cold. 

The best way to tell the difference is to take a COVID test. A positive test means you have COVID. But a negative test result doesn’t always rule it out — especially early in the illness. That’s why it’s helpful to know how COVID and the common cold are different, including what a typical course for each illness looks like. That way, you can get the care you need and keep yourself and those around you safe.

Differences between cold and COVID symptoms

The common cold is caused by over 200 different viruses. With a cold, you get these familiar symptoms: 

• Stuffy or runny nose

• Sneezing

• Headache

• Cough

• Sore throat

• Mild body aches

• Low fever

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COVID, on the other hand, is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The original strain caused a respiratory illness that was very different from anything seen before. These days, COVID often causes symptoms similar to the common cold. 

But with COVID, you can also have other symptoms. Along with “cold-like” symptoms, it can cause: 

• Fever 

• Chills

• Shortness of breath

• Trouble breathing

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea 

• Loss of taste or smell

• Fatigue

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of common signs and symptoms: 

Keep in mind that symptoms can vary from person to person. Your symptoms may also depend on whether you’ve been vaccinated or if you’ve had COVID before. And COVID symptoms may continue to change as new variants emerge. 

It’s important to remember: COVID isn’t just another cold. For some groups of people, it can still lead to severe and life-threatening complications that require hospital care. Even if you don’t have symptoms or have only mild illness, COVID can cause long-lasting symptoms called long COVID.

COVID timeline: Stages and symptoms

With COVID, symptoms can show up anywhere from 2 to 14 days after you’re exposed. 

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There’s also a wide range in how long your COVID symptoms will last. Some people don’t have any symptoms at all, while others still feel sick for weeks. This makes it hard to predict an exact timeline. 

In general, COVID stages and symptoms tend to follow certain patterns: 

• Incubation period: This is the time between exposure to the virus and the first symptoms of COVID. For older strains the incubation period for COVID was usually 5 or more days. But with Omicron, it shortened to about 3 to 4 days. This incubation period may continue to change with new variants. 

• Symptoms start: After the incubation period, you may develop symptoms of COVID. Not everyone gets or notices symptoms, but common early symptoms include nasal congestion, sore throat, and a cough.

• Symptoms peak: At some point, your COVID symptoms will peak and feel their worst. For Omicron, viral load peaked around day 4 — but it’s not clear whether this is still true for the newer FLiRT variants going around. During this stage, you might be more likely to have fever, muscle aches, and headache. In the past, some people lost their sense of taste or smell around days 4-5 (though this is less common now).

• Symptoms lessen: After the peak, symptoms feel better day by day. On average, COVID symptoms last longer than a typical cold, but this varies from person to person. According to the World Health Organization, COVID symptoms typically last anywhere from 1-14 days. 

• Symptoms linger: Some symptoms, like breathing issues, headaches, and brain fog, may take longer to pass than others. Recovery time is often longer for older adults or those with underlying medical conditions.

When are COVID symptoms considered to be long COVID? 

Most cases of COVID resolve within a few weeks. But some people develop long COVID. Long COVID refers to a wide range of health problems that persist for at least three months after the initial infection. You can develop long COVID even if you had mild symptoms of COVID, or no symptoms at all.

Cold timeline: Stages and symptoms

Like COVID, the exact timeline of cold symptoms and stages varies a bit from person to person. 

But colds do follow a more predictable pattern of stages and symptoms, including how long cold symptoms last: 

• Incubation period: For most cold viruses, this lasts about 1-3 days. But it can be as short as 12 hours. For example, if you spend time with someone who’s sick in the morning and start feeling worn out that evening, you may be coming down with a cold. 

• Symptoms start: You’ll likely feel your first symptoms within 3 days of exposure. This could be a sniffle, a sore throat, or a vague feeling of being “off.”

• Symptoms peak: Cold symptoms usually peak 1-3 days after your first symptom starts. This is when you’ll feel your worst. You might feel tired or have a cough, congestion, or a headache. While most adults don’t get a fever with a cold, it can happen in children. 

• Symptoms lessen: Most colds last about 7-10 days. You should feel your symptoms getting better during this time.

• Symptoms linger: With the common cold, it’s normal for a cough or runny nose to linger for a couple of weeks. For some people, a cough can continue for months or even longer. 

What to do when your cold doesn’t go away

If your symptoms start to improve but then worsen again, contact a healthcare professional. Worsening symptoms after 7 to 10 days can mean that you’re dealing with another health problem, like sinusitis or pneumonia. 

Stages of COVID-19 vs. stages of a cold

Like with any upper respiratory illnesses, there’s a range of how sick you might feel if you catch either COVID or a cold. Here’s a comparison of the typical course of each illness. 

How long are you contagious with COVID or a cold?

Whether you have a cold or COVID, you could be contagious from the time you’re infected, through the incubation period, and until your symptoms go away. 

How long you’re contagious will depend on how long your symptoms last. But you’re probably at your most contagious when your symptoms are at their worst. So, if you’re having lots of symptoms, you’re more likely to be contagious. And when your symptoms have resolved, you’re less likely to be contagious. 

When can I go back to my regular activities?

With any respiratory virus, the CDC recommends staying home until: 

• Your symptoms are beginning to improve. 

• You haven’t had a fever in 24 hours without using fever-reducing medicine like Tylenol.

Once you’ve met these criteria, it’s probably safe to resume your normal activities and be around others. However, it’s a good idea to take precautions for the next 5 days, including: 

• Wearing a mask

• Maintaining physical distance from others

• Cleaning your hands regularly

• Covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze

• Disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, like doorknobs, counters, and handles

• Taking steps to improve your indoor air quality

• Testing for COVID before spending time with others indoors

After the 5-day period, you can stop these additional precautions. By then, most people are no longer very contagious. 

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Written by:

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician in a variety of clinical settings. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. An experienced and dedicated pulmonologist and hospitalist, she spent a decade practicing and teaching clinical medicine at academic hospitals throughout London before transitioning to a career in health education and health technology.

Reviewed by:

Sarah Gupta, MD

Sarah Gupta, MD, is a licensed physician with a special interest in mental health, sex and gender, eating disorders, and the human microbiome. She is currently board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

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