Is it a cold or a flu?

Typically, flu-type diseases begin with sneezing and a sore throat. A fever then develops followed by a coughing stage, especially if secondary infections like bronchitis or pneumonia develop. Headache, muscular pains or aches, diarrhoea and vomiting are common too. Different strains or types of flu may have different combinations of these symptoms and people infected with the same flu may show some symptoms that others do not.

Check the table below to figure out if it's just a cold or if it could be influenza or download this Ministry of Health Pamphlet for further information on distinguishing between the symptoms of colds and influenza. If you are not sure, then talk to your local GP.

SYMPTOM	INFLUENZA	COMMON COLD
Fever	Usual, sudden, onset 38 – 40 degrees and lasts 3 – 4 days	Rare
Headache	Usual and can be severe	Rare
Aches and pains	Usual and can be severe	Rare
Fatigue and weakness	Usual and can last 2 – 3 weeks after the acute illness	Sometimes, but mild
Debilitating illness	Usual, early onset and can be severe	Rare
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea	In children < 5 years old	Rare
Watering of the eyes	Rare	Usual
Runny, stuffy nose	Rare	Usual
Sneezing	Rare in early stages	Usual
Sore throat	Usual	Usual
Chest discomfort	Usual and can be severe	Sometimes, mild to moderate
Complications	Lungs cannot function properly (respiratory failure); can worsen a current chronic condition; can be life threatening	Congestion or earache
Fatalities	Well recognised	Not reported
Prevention	Influenza vaccine, frequent hand washing, cover your coughs or sneezes	Frequent hand washing, cover your coughs and sneezes