Overview
Both flu and common cold are respiratory viral infections that can share symptoms like coughing, congestion, and fatigue, making them difficult to distinguish at first. While colds typically develop gradually and are milder, the flu tends to come on suddenly with more severe symptoms including high fever, body aches, and extreme exhaustion.
Disease Summaries
Flu: An infection caused by the influenza virus, typically affecting the respiratory tract (nose, windpipe, lungs).
Common Cold: Viral infection of the nose and throat. Symptoms include coughing, runny nose, and throat pain. Most colds are caused by viruses; a few are caused by bacteria.
Comparing Symptoms
Overlapping Symptoms
- Coughing
- Congestion
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Fatigue
Flu Specific Symptoms
- High fever
- Severe body aches
- Sudden onset of symptoms
- Extreme exhaustion
- Headache
Common Cold Specific Symptoms
- Mild fever
- Mild body aches
- Gradual onset of symptoms
- Sneezing
- Symptoms mainly above neck
Treatment Approaches
Flu Treatment Approaches
Antiviral medications for the flu can lessen symptom severity and promote quicker recovery. To be effective, these flu antiviral medications should be taken within the first 48 hours of illness.
Common Cold Treatment Approaches
The common cold usually resolves on its own and does not require specific treatment. Healthcare professionals can suggest ways to alleviate symptoms.
Reviewed By:

Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)
Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.

Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
Content updated on Mar 13, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
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https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(03)12162-9/fulltextPassioti M, Maggina P, Megremis S, Papadopoulos NG. The common cold: potential for future prevention or cure. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2014 Feb;14(2):413. doi: 10.1007/s11882-013-0413-5. PMID: 24415465; PMCID: PMC7088639.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11882-013-0413-5Gaitonde DY, Moore FC, Morgan MK. Influenza: Diagnosis and Treatment. Am Fam Physician. 2019 Dec 15;100(12):751-758. PMID: 31845781.
https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2019/1215/p751.html