Do You Have the Flu?
If you have feverish chills, coughs, body aches, headaches, fatigue, and sore throat, it’s likely the flu (source). But if you sneeze, have a runny or stuffy nose, with no or mild fever, it’s probably the common cold (source).
| The Flu | The Common Cold |
| Enters deep into the lungs. | Stays in the nose and sinus. |
| Has more severe symptoms. | Often shows mild symptoms. |
| Often cooccurs with a fever. | Usually ends with little to no fever. |
| Includes coughing and sore throat | Includes runny nose and sneezing. |
How to Know If It’s Flu, Not Cold or Covid?
Dr. John Torres advises that you assume it’s Covid unless proven otherwise. But in general, you could tell the difference between the flu, cold, and Covid by their severeness and symptoms:
If it’s a mild illness with little to no effect on your lungs—your breathing—it’s the cold. If it’s slightly more severe and enters your lungs—you cough a lot—it’s the flu. But if it affects your respiratory system and causes loss of smell and taste, it’s Covid.
However, distinguishing between flu, cold, coronavirus, and seasonal allergies requires clinical examination. So, please, avoid self-diagnosis.
What Is a Cold or Flu Symptom Checker?
A symptom checker for influenza, also known as the flu quiz, is an online self-report diagnostic checklist. Its goal is to determine if you have either of the viruses.
Suggested: If you have flu or cold symptoms, take our other quiz next. It’s called “What vitamins should I take?”
What Other Illnesses Look Like Flu?
Unfortunately, there are several indistinguishable viruses with parallel symptoms as the flu. The most common ones are the common cold, Covid variants—omicron, delta—seasonal allergies, and RSV.
But the flu is primarily mistaken for a cold, which has over 200 strains.
What to Do If You Have the Flu?
During the flu season, it’s best to stay home and rest. Especially if your symptoms are mild, over-the-counter treatments should be your priority. You must consult your doctor and take antiviral prescription flu medicines, such as Tamiflu (oseltamivir), Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil), Rapivab (peramivir), and Relenza (zanamivir).
Other than that, keep yourself warm, drink plenty of water, and avoid intense activities for a while—sleeping is an excellent choice to accelerate recovery.
Things to Know Before Taking the Flu Quiz
The number of people asking, “Do I have Influenza?” increases as the flu season starts. And the quiz comes in handy when you’re unsure what to do with the early symptoms. But you must keep a few things in mind before taking the test.
- It’s not a clinical diagnosis.
No online quiz can diagnose you with the flu, the common cold, or Covid. At best, they can identify which illness seems more probable. So, whatever you do, please do not replace an online test with a clinical examination.
- You should avoid self-prescription.
No matter the results, you must not self-prescribe. Taking the wrong medication can only worsen your situation and lead to irrecoverable health issues. Please, consult your doctor before taking any medicines.
- The test accuracy depends on your report.
The flu quiz is a self-report. In other words, your description of the symptoms directly affects the results. For a more reliable answer, pick the option closest to your symptoms.
Disclaimer
The influenza quiz, AKA do I have the flu test, is an educational self-assessment tool. It’s not meant to replace a clinical examination and does not prescribe any medication.
