Grein also recommends covering your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, cleaning your hands often with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand rub, and avoiding touching your face as much as possible. Skip to content. First things first: Do you have a cold or the flu? Read: Is It a Cold or the Flu? When can I go back to work or school? The contagious period for the flu can last as long as days from when you first felt sick.
An ounce of prevention. Tags: Expert Advice. COVID is caused by infection with a coronavirus first identified in , and flu is caused by infection with influenza viruses. COVID seems to spread more easily than flu. COVID can also take longer before people show symptoms and people can be contagious for longer.
More information about differences between flu and COVID is available in the different sections below. Because some of the symptoms of flu, COVID, and other respiratory illnesses are similar, the difference between them cannot be made based on symptoms alone.
Testing is needed to tell what the illness is and to confirm a diagnosis. Both COVID and flu can have varying degrees of signs and symptoms, ranging from no symptoms asymptomatic to severe symptoms.
For both COVID and flu , 1 or more days can pass between when a person becomes infected and when he or she starts to experience illness symptoms. Typically, a person experiences symptoms anywhere from 1 to 4 days after infection. Typically, a person experiences symptoms about 5 days after being infected , but symptoms can appear 2 to 14 days after infection. Older children and adults with flu appear to be most contagious during the initial days of their illness but many people remain contagious for about 7 days.
People who are hospitalized with severe disease and people with weakened immune systems can be contagious for 20 days or longer. Both COVID and flu can spread from person-to-person between people who are in close contact with one another within about 6 feet. Both are spread mainly by large and small particles containing virus that are expelled when people with the illness COVID or flu cough, sneeze, or talk.
These particles can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby and possibly be inhaled into the lungs. In some circumstances, such as indoor settings with poor ventilation, small particles might be spread further than 6 feet and cause infections. Although most spread is by inhalation, it may be possible that a person can get infected by touching for example, shaking hands with someone who has the virus on their hands or by touching a surface or object that has virus on it, and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes.
Both flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID can be spread to others by people before they begin showing symptoms; by people with very mild symptoms; and by people who never experience symptoms asymptomatic people. If you get the flu, antiviral drugs may be a treatment option. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. CDC Features. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Common Colds: Protect Yourself and Others. Minus Related Pages.
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