Corona vs. flu: These are the differences

Corona vs. flu: How they differ

Due to the rapid spread of the novel corona virus, many people fear that they or their children will be infected with the lung disease COVID-19. When typical cold symptoms appear, the question quickly arises as to whether the flu is approaching or whether a corona infection is present.

• It’s flu season and the beginning of spring – a runny nose , sore throat and cough are common companions of adults and children alike. The symptoms do not necessarily mean that you are affected by COVID-19.
• As a first measure, you can determine whether a cold, flu or Corona is to blame for the symptoms by looking at small differences.
• The common cold comes in stages and brings with it a stuffy nose and a sore throat. The common cold can also cause tiredness , but breathing difficulties or coughing  are rare.
• With the flu , the symptoms appear abruptly within 1 to 2 days: difficulty breathing, fever, body aches, cough, headache and tiredness. Sometimes there is a sore throat or a stuffy nose.
• According to the Robert Koch Institute , corona manifests itself in stages, similar to the common cold. Common symptoms of the viral disease include difficulty breathing, fever, dry cough and fatigue.
• Body aches, headaches, sore throats and stuffy noses only occur occasionally.
• In summary, the breathing difficulties, the fever and the dry cough speak for a corona disease.
• If you’re more likely to have body aches, a cough with sputum, and a headache, it could be the flu. A sore throat and runny nose indicate a cold.
• The laboratory test brings certainty about an infection. If, in addition to the symptoms, you have had contact with an infected person, the symptoms are getting worse or you belong to the risk group, contact the responsible health authority in your region.
• The health department or the medical on-call service on 116117 will inform you about how to proceed.

These are other symptoms of COVID-19

In addition to the flu-like symptoms, other characteristics have recently been identified in corona infected people. These include:

• Loss of smell or taste
• muscle and joint pain
• shortness of breath
• Diarrhea