This article was updated April 18, 2022.
感冒、流感、过敏和COVID-19有许多类似的症状。
有时，可能很难确定你可能正在经历什么疾病。
So how can you know whether you are dealing with allergies, a common cold, the flu or COVID-19?
The biggest difference is the shortness of breath associated with COVID-19. The flu or cold does not cause shortness of breath unless it progresses to pneumonia.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include:
- Fever or chills
- Dry Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
感冒可能由200多种不同的病毒引发，它会让你痛苦，但相对无害。它通常会在一段时间后自行清除，尽管它有时会导致二次感染，如耳朵感染。常见的感冒症状包括打喷嚏、鼻塞、喉咙痛以及轻至中度的胸部不适和咳嗽。
Influenza, however, can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia and even death. What may seem like a cold could actually be the flu. Symptoms include fever or feverish/chills, cough, muscle or body aches, headache, fatigue, runny or stuffy nose and sore throat.
Allergies are typically chronic conditions presenting with symptoms off and on depending perhaps on the season or your environment. Those suffering from allergies deal with itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing and nasal congestion.
Despite some overlap, the typical symptoms of COVID-19 are more similar to the flu than the common cold or allergies.
Reduce the risk of illness
So, you’ve decided you want to avoid all of the above.
How do you protect yourself from COVID-19?
Getvaccinatedor if you’re already vaccinated, get yourbooster.- Wear aface maskwhen you go out in public as required by CDC guidelines and based on thetransmission rate in your community.
- Wash your hands often with soap and clean, running water for at least 20 seconds.
- 如果你没有肥皂和水，请经常使用含酒精的洗手液。确保它至少含有60%的酒精。
- Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth unless you have clean hands.
- As much as possible, don’t touch “high-touch” public surfaces such as doorknobs. Don’t shake hands.
- Cough or sneeze into a tissue, then throw the tissue into the trash. If you don’t have tissues, cough or sneeze into the bend of your elbow.
- 远离生病的人。
- Check your home supplies. Consider keeping atwo week supplyof medicines, food and other needed household items.
- 不要与病人共用饮食用具。
- Don’t kisssomeone who is sick.
- Clean surfaces often with disinfectant.
GetHow do you prevent the common cold?
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Avoid close contact with sick people.
- Avoid touching your nose or eyes, especially while around sick people.
- Clean surfaces with disinfectants that kill viruses to halt the spread of colds.
And how do you prevent the flu?
- Get aflu shotas soon as it is available each year. TheCDCrecommends infants over the age of 6 months and all children and adults get vaccinated every year.
- Wash your hands before eating and don’t put your hands near your face or in your mouth. Wash for at least 20 seconds; regular soap will do.
- If someone in your family has the flu, keep surfaces clean of the virus by wiping them with a cleaning solution containing chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, detergents, iodophors or alcohols. Flu viruses are also killed by heat above 167 degrees.
- Raise the humidity in your home or workplace. The flu bug exists in higher quantities in dry nasal and oral passages. By raising the humidity, your body will be better able to flush out the flu bug.
And what about allergies?
There’s not much to do toprevent allergies, but you can help prevent the symptoms by:
- Controlling your environment, such as using air conditioning during pollen season.
- 远离有大量灰尘、螨虫、霉菌的地方。
- Keeping away from pets if you have an issue with pet dander.
Still not sure about some of the symptoms you may be experiencing?
VisitOSF OnCallfor a consultation with a health care provider or chat withClare, our chatbot, who will check yoursymptomsand direct you to the right type of care.