COVID-19 shares a staggering number of similarities of symptoms with various illnesses and allergies. The Omicron variant is now making it even more difficult to decipher just what is causing your bad cough.
Given the rising cases of Omicron across the United States, many desire to know the visible difference between the symptoms presented by COVID-19 and those from the flu or common cold.
According to Dr. Hai Shao, a physician from the Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center in California specializing in infectious disease, Omicron attacks the body in a similar way to previous variants. Many of the symptoms include sore throat, fever, headache, and chills. Upon progression of the illness, patients will soon face breathing problems and coughing.
The single most important variable separating COVID-19 regardless of today’s variant from any other disease includes the loss of smell and taste.
“The other thing is that a common cold tends not to give high fever and sometimes severe headaches, which omicron is reporting these symptoms as predominant. If you do have those symptoms, it’s much more concerning that you may have gotten COVID than the common cold virus.” — Dr. Shao
Experts continue to recommend the practice of traditional control measures to prevent the spread of the infection. Avoid attending crowded places without a mask, and do not remain in proximity of others who are not wearing one until symptoms resolve.
With both the flu and cold season in swing, many doctors have expressed grave concern that parents may not be able to resolve the difference between COVID-19 and their child’s common flu or cold symptoms.
Dr. Mark Sawyer, a specialist of pediatric infectious disease at the Rady Children’s Hospital of San Diego, has warned parents to keep children at home any time they get sick so they don’t risk spreading whatever is causing their symptoms, including and especially if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19.