fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, sore throat, body aches and a runny or stuffy nose, the CDC said.
Lisa Maragakis, senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland says, that “the symptoms for flu and COVID-19 are so similar that one of the challenges we’re dealing with this year is diagnosing people correctly and quickly.
Even if you have mild symptoms, don’t attempt to ride out a virus on your own, and don’t assume that coughing is the only clue you’ve got COVID-19.
You should contact your doctor if you have body aches, fever, a sore throat, or respiratory symptoms so you can be tested for COVID-19.
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The list of warning signs for the coronavirus is continually expanding and now includes loss of taste or smell, nausea, diarrhea, or even swollen red toes.”
It’s important to know which infection you have. With the flu, your doctor can prescribe an antiviral medication.
But if you have COVID-19, your doctor will help you decide if you need to go to the hospital for severe symptoms where you might be prescribed steroids or other experimental medications.
Plus, you’ll have to be quarantined to avoid transmitting it to others.
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“Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults,” the CDC said.
But unlike the flu, Covid-19 can cause a loss of taste or smell.
And about half of coronavirus transmissions happen between people who don’t show any symptoms. Many of those people are pre-symptomatic and are more contagious before they start showing symptoms.
So the best way to know if you have the novel coronavirus or the flu (or both) is to get tested.
The CDC has created a test that will check for both viruses, to be used at CDC-supported public health labs. The agency said it is continuing to manufacture and distribute these tests. Find your testing site here.
