Sneezing, coughing, scratchy throat: is it flu, cold or corona?
Created: 01/09/2022, 2:11 PM
From: Yasina Hipp
A runny nose is a typical cold symptom, but it can also indicate an omicron infection.
© picture alliance / dpa / dpa-Zentralbild / Patrick Pleul
The Coronavirus variant Omikron is spreading in Germany - but temperatures are also falling at the same time.
Anyone who is currently ailing does not have to have been directly infected with the virus.
Berlin - Many people know it: It's getting colder outside and your nose starts to run right away or your throat scratches a bit.
In normal winters you wouldn't have to worry, you can usually cope with a cold or the flu.
Since the beginning of the corona pandemic, however, people quickly panic when they have a cold or cough.
Is it a coronavirus infection or just a common cold?
If it's the coronavirus: is it Delta or already Omikron?
A list of the typical symptoms depending on the disease can help with identification.
In the event of doubt, however, only a PCR test can provide final certainty.
Symptoms: cold, flu, delta or omicron
The symptoms that can occur with all four diseases are fever, limb pain, sore throat and headache, cough, tiredness, sneezing, runny nose, loss of appetite, night sweats and loss of the sense of smell and taste.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) names other possible symptoms of a corona infection with abdominal pain, nausea and rash, among other things.
However, the probability of occurrence varies.
Omicron
Often:
Pain in the limbs and sore throat, tiredness, runny nose, loss of appetite, night sweats
Sometimes: fever, cough, headache, sneezing
Never: Loss of the sense of taste and smell
delta
Common: fever, headache, loss of taste and smell
Sometimes: pain in the limbs and sore throat, coughing, tiredness, sneezing, runny nose
Never: loss of appetite, night sweats
cold
Common: pain in the limbs and throat, sneezing, runny nose
Sometimes: fever, headache, tiredness
Rare: cough
Never: loss of appetite, night sweats, loss of the sense of taste and smell
flu
Common: fever, body aches, cough, headache, tiredness
Sometimes: sore throat, runny nose, night sweats
Never: sneezing, loss of appetite, loss of taste and smell
Symptoms: If in doubt, do a PCR test
The occurrence of symptoms can, however, vary greatly from person to person, depending on the person and physical condition.
If you don't feel fit, you should definitely not panic, but rather see a doctor and, if in doubt, do a PCR test.
This gives the final certainty whether it is a corona infection or just a normal cold.