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-19 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

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 for cold and COVID: 

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• Is it the flu? Learn key differences between COVID-19 and the flu — plus tips to protect yourself from serious symptoms.

• Compare symptoms: Some illnesses share similar symptoms. But some symptoms are more likely to point to a COVID-19 infection. Other symptoms mean you should seek treatment more quickly.

• Best time to test: Have you been exposed to COVID-19 or started feeling sick? Our experts explain when you should take a test to confirm.

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.

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. 

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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 primary care provider’s office. Some retail pharmacies also offer drive-through COVID testing.

COVID timeline: Stages and symptoms

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

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 of COVID 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 to 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 to 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.

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 to 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 you 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 to 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 to 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.

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 both of the following are true: 

• 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.

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. You can take Paxlovid or Lageviro even if your COVID symptoms are mild. 

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’s 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 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. 

You should also seek urgent medical attention if you develop more serious 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

Frequently asked questions

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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. 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:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

Reviewed by:

Christine Giordano, MD

Christine Giordano, MD, is board-certified in general internal medicine. She received her medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and completed residency at Thomas Jefferson University.

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