COVID-19 has changed many aspects of normal life, one of the main things being how we interpret signs of illness. In the midst of the pandemic, it’s hard to decide whether something like a runny nose is cause for a COVID test or if it can just be attributed to allergy season. COVID’s sometimes subtle symptom list makes it especially difficult to differentiate between the virus and normal ailments, such as the common cold, the flu, or seasonal allergies. Understanding the differences between these common illnesses and COVID-19 is essential to everyone’s safety.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the main differences between COVID-19 and the common cold are that the common cold will never induce nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting. COVID-19 and the common cold share the symptom of coughing, but COVID has a distinctive dry cough. Loss of taste and/or smell is uncommon with a cold, but can happen due to blocked sinuses. COVID rarely includes sneezing on it’s symptom list, while it’s common with a cold. Mayo Clinic also states, “While COVID-19 symptoms generally appear two to 14 days after exposure, symptoms of a common cold usually appear one to three days after exposure to a cold-causing virus.”

In comparison to seasonal allergies, COVID is also alarmingly similar. Mayo Clinic states that allergies will never include COVID symptoms like fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, or vomiting. Allergies will rarely cause a sore throat like COVID does, and COVID will rarely cause sneezing or itchiness of facial features like allergies do.

In terms of COVID versus the flu, things get a little more complicated. The two viruses share almost identical symptom lists, the only differences being that the flu doesn’t always include a fever, rarely causes loss of taste or smell, and usually only causes nausea and vomiting in children according to the Mayo Clinic.

Shawna Ma, a Sonoma State student who contracted COVID-19 in the past, explains that her symptoms included muscle aches, loss of appetite, and fever. These symptoms share many similarities to a common cold and the seasonal flu, thus making things even trickier than they already are.

When Ma was asked if her COVID-19 symptoms were similar to other illnesses she’s experienced in the past, she states that, “It is definitely a little similar to the flu. The flu you can get over pretty quickly, but even after I tested negative [for COVID-19], my taste and smell wasn’t 100 percent back.”

Grayce Marsh, an employee at a local gym, recounts a similar feeling when she tested positive for COVID-19. She explained how she developed a sore throat, thus leading to other symptoms, including body aches, fatigue, and loss of smell and taste.

“The worst symptoms during COVID would’ve been losing my taste and smell,”  Marsh said, “[Loss of taste and smell] lasted the longest and made the whole process of recovery more difficult.”

When asked if COVID compared to any ailments she had in the past, Marsh said, “I’d say it was like having phases of different flu types in one week.”

While illnesses and viruses like COVID-19 tend to subside after a certain period of time, it seems that symptoms from being infected with the virus could linger even after testing negative. This is commonly referred to as “long COVID”, and usually includes lingering loss of taste and/or smell, fatigue following exercise, and decreased lung capacity. According to Marsh, “Even after I tested negative, things just didn’t taste or smell the same…things that I was smelling and tasting everyday are different, and to this day, it still is.”

The moral of the story here is that, even if the symptoms one is experiencing seem anything but alarming, getting tested will always be a good idea and necessary precaution. It is safer to be positive the illness is not COVID than to assume otherwise. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, contact your healthcare provider for guidance on testing as soon as possible.