Coronavirus symptom explained: How to identify a COVID-19 sore throat | The Times of India

COVID-19 and the flu are respiratory viruses that have a somewhat similar effect on the body, leading to symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing and more. They may differ in their degree of risks and severity but are transmitted through aerosol droplets or smaller virus particles, causing infections in the respiratory route either directly by contact or through contaminated surfaces.

Also read: COVID precautionary dose: Dos and don’ts to follow before scheduling your third dose

One way to differentiate between the two infections is to note how efficiently they spread from one person to another. Experts believe the SARs-CoV-2 virus spreads more easily and more quickly than the flu and causes more serious illnesses in some people.

Apart from that, while some flu and COVID symptoms may overlap, there are some symptoms like shortness of breath, loss of sense of smell or taste that act as primary differentiators. They can occur with a COVID-19 infection, but not in the case of a flu infection. Similarly, headaches, nausea are less prevalent in COVID-19, but are classic symptoms of the flu.