How to distinguish coronavirus from flu and acute respiratory viral infections

The main difference between coronavirus and flu and ARVI is the incubation period (the time from infection to the appearance of the first symptoms). Respiratory viruses and flu make themselves known as early as 1-4 days. On average, their incubation period is 2-3 days.

Coronavirus multiplies in the body for a longer time. Its incubation period can reach up to 14 days. Expressed symptoms in most patients are noticeable as early as day 5, but can appear much later.

fever: with COVID-19, the thermometer rises from 37.3 and above. Flu is accompanied by a temperature of 38 degrees. It rises suddenly, and the patient cannot accurately determine when the fever occurred. With ARVI, elevated temperature is almost never encountered;

cough in children and adults: coronavirus infection is always accompanied by a dry, debilitating cough, since the infection affects the respiratory organs. Flu is also accompanied by a cough, and ARVI most often causes not a dry cough, but a cough with phlegm;

loss of strength is observed with all viral diseases. However, with ARVI, weakness is not always noted by a person, but aches in muscles and joints are characteristic for everyone;

with coronavirus, signs of rhinitis are rarely observed. Basically, there is nasal congestion in the bridge of the nose and loss of smell. Flu and respiratory infections quite often provoke mucous discharge from the nasal passages. At first they are transparent, and later – yellowish-green;

headache with covid is sometimes present. Some patients note that the head hurts very much, as with the flu. With ARVI, complaints about this symptom are rare;

the throat does not hurt much with coronavirus and flu. Only a sore throat is observed, but ARVI is regularly accompanied by pain, redness, swelling of the tissues;

patients with flu and covid do not always experience diarrhea. With ARVI, there may be an upset stool, but this symptom is rare, often in children.