Troubled by sore throat? Here’s How To Find Out If It’s COVID Or A Cold

A common symptom for both cold and COVID:

Several studies have shown that sore throat and sore throat are the most common symptoms of Omicron. Therefore, many people refer to Omicrons as having cold or flu-like symptoms.

Studies show that common omicron symptoms include cough, runny nose, fatigue, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, fever and sneezing. Some also have vomiting, night sweats and loss of appetite.

But as far as scratching, sore throat is concerned, it can be linked to many other things. It can also be the result of change in weather.

How to differentiate symptoms?

The best way to understand the difference is through the severity of the symptoms. If it is cold, you may feel mild discomfort in your throat, whereas for COVID, you may suffer from other symptoms such as fever, cough, fatigue, body aches, gastrointestinal symptoms and loss of smell and taste. These symptoms are unlikely to occur if you only have a cold.

Furthermore, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the incubation time for COVID-19 ranges from 1-14 days, which is usually around 5 days. For Omicron, experts say that it is shorter i.e. 3 days. However, for the common cold, it is usually between 1 and 3 days.

How to know?

The best way to find out is to get tested. If the symptoms persist for more than 2-3 days, you should get an RT-PCR test done. And, in case of any serious symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness and more, contact your nearest healthcare provider.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly warned that some Omicron patients may experience cold-like symptoms. But Omicron is not the common cold.