05/06/2025
๐คง๐ฆ ๐ท Is it a Cold, Flu, or COVID-19? Understanding the Differences ๐ฆ๐บ
With winter fast approaching, it can be tricky to tell the difference between the common cold, the flu (influenza), and the latest strains of COVID-19. While they share many symptoms, they are caused by different viruses and can have varying levels of severity.
Here's a quick guide to help you understand what to look out for:
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐น๐ฑ:
๐ข๐ป๐๐ฒ๐: Usually gradual.
๐ฆ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐บ๐: Generally milder, often starting with a runny or stuffy nose, sore or scratchy throat, sneezing, and a mild cough. Fever is rare or low-grade.
๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐: Typically mild and resolves on its own within a week.
๐๐ป๐ณ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ (๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐น๐):
๐ข๐ป๐๐ฒ๐: Usually sudden.
๐ฆ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐บ๐: More severe than a cold. Common symptoms include high fever, chills, body aches, headaches, significant fatigue, and a more pronounced cough and sore throat. Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea can occur, especially in children.
๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐: Can range from mild to severe, and may lead to complications like pneumonia, especially in vulnerable groups (young children, elderly, pregnant women, or those with chronic conditions).
๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐-๐ญ๐ต (Latest Strain):
๐ข๐ป๐๐ฒ๐: Can vary, from gradual to sudden.
๐ฆ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐บ๐: Symptoms can be similar to both the flu and common cold, and severity varies greatly. The latest Omicron subvariants often present with symptoms like sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches, and nasal congestion. Some people may also experience gastrointestinal symptoms, or loss of taste/smell (though less common with newer variants).
๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐: While the current dominant strains are generally not observed to cause more severe disease compared to previous variants, COVID-19 can still lead to serious illness, hospitalisation, and Long COVID for some individuals, particularly those who are unvaccinated or have underlying health conditions.
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฑ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ:
While many mild respiratory illnesses can be managed at home, it's important to contact your GP if you are in a high-risk group (elderly, very young, pregnant, immunocompromised, or with chronic health conditions) or are worried at all - and/or if you experience:
โ Severe symptoms that worsen or don't improve.
โ Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
โ Persistent chest pain or pressure.
โ Confusion or sudden dizziness.
โ Symptoms that return or worsen after initially improving.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ (for you and those around you) is ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป! ๐
Both influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are your best protection against severe illness, hospitalisation, and complications. Getting vaccinated not only protects you but also helps protect our more vulnerable community members.
๐๐น๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Recommended annually for everyone aged 6 months and over. It's free for QLD residents and for eligible groups from other states under the National Immunisation Program.
๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐-๐ญ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Regular boosters are recommended for adults (especially those aged 65+ or with underlying conditions) to maintain protection against newer variants. Check your eligibility and when your next booster is due.
Don't wait! Stay ahead of the winter sniffles and book your flu and/or COVID-19 vaccination appointment with your GP today! Let's keep our community healthy this winter.
๐ Call us on 07 4758 7000 ๐ป Book online at https://www.northshoregp.com.au/
