| Symptom |
Cold |
Seasonal Flu |
| Fever |
Fever is rare with a cold. |
Fever is common with the flu in up to 80% of all cases. A temperature of 100° F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu. |
| Aches |
Body aches and pains are rarely associated with a cold. |
Severe aches and pains are common with the flu. |
| Chills |
Chills are uncommon with a cold. |
Chills are common with influenza. |
| Tiredness |
Tiredness is mild with a cold. |
Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu. |
| Headache |
A headache is uncommon with a cold. |
A headache is common with the flu (present in 80% of flu cases). |
| Sudden Symptoms |
Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days. |
The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains. |
| Sneezing |
Sneezing is common with a cold. |
Sneezing is uncommon with the flu. |
| Coughing |
A productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold. |
A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough). |
