| Is it the Cold or the Flu?
| Symptoms |
Cold |
Flu |
| Fever |
Rare |
Characteristic High |
| Headache |
Rare |
Prominent |
| General Aches, Pains |
Slight |
Usual, often severe |
| Fatigue, Weakness |
Quite mild |
Can last up to 2-3 weeks |
| Extreme Exhaustion |
Never |
Early and prominent |
| Stuffy Nose |
Common |
Sometimes |
| Sneezing |
Usual |
Sometimes |
| Sore Throat |
Common |
Sometimes |
| Chest Discomfort, Cough |
Mild to moderate, Hacking cough |
Common, can become severe |
| Complications |
Sinus congestion or earache |
Bronchitis, pneumonia; can be life threatening |
| Prevention |
None |
Annual vaccination; amantadine or rimantadine (antiviral drugs) |
| Treatment |
Only temporary relief of symptoms |
Amantadine or rimantadine within 24-48 hours after onset of symptoms |
Chart courtesy of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases |
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