The novel coronavirus continues to spread across the country, impacting thousands every day in the United States.
And to make matters worse — winter is coming. And that means the flu, common cold and allergies will be springing up on us at a rapid rate.
National Jewish Health released a breakdown of symptoms to help people understand if they have allergies, the common cold, influenza or COVID-19.
We’ve rounded up those ideas and break them down below. You can visit National Jewish Health for more information.
Allergies:
- Symptoms begin gradually
- Symptoms last during allergy season
- Dry cough
- Headaches
- Itchy eyes
- Nasal congestion
- Runny nose
- Sneeze
- Sometimes fatigue and weakness
- Sometimes loss of taste or smell
- Sometimes sore throat
- Sometimes shortness of breath
Common cold:
- Symptoms begin gradually
- Symptoms last four to 10 days
- Body aches
- Chills are less common
- Dry cough
- Nasal congestion
- Exposure to germs
- Fatigue and weakness
- Sometimes nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
- Sometimes loss of taste or smell
- Sometimes sore throat
- Sometimes repeated shaking from chills
- Runny nose
- Sneeze
- Sore throat
- Shortness of breath is less common
- Fever is less common
- Headaches are less common
Influenza
- Symptoms begin abruptly
- Symptoms last five to seven days
- Symptoms get worse
- Body aches
- Chills
- Dry cough
- Nasal congestion
- Exposure to germs
- Fatigue and weakness
- Fever
- Headaches
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Sneeze
- Shortness of breath
- Sometimes nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
- Sometimes loss of taste or smell
- Sometimes repeated shaking from chills
COVID-19
- Symptoms begin within 14 days of exposure
- Symptoms last at different times per person
- Sometimes repeated shaking from chills
- Dry cough
- Exposure to germs
- Fatigue and weakness
- Fever
- Loss of taste or smell
- Shortness of breath
- Symptoms get worse
- Sometimes body aches
- Sometimes chills
- Sometimes headaches
- Sometimes sneeze
- Sometimes sore throat
- Sometimes nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
- Sometimes repeated shaking from chills
- Nasal congestion is less common
- Runny nose is less common
A look ahead to the fall
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a recent interview that the United States could be in store for a dark fall if the coronavirus isn’t stopped, which I wrote about for Deseret.com.
- “For your country right now and for the war that we’re in against COVID-19, I’m asking you to do four simple things: wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands and be smart about crowds.”
- “I’m not asking some of America to do it. We all gotta do it.”