Is it COVID, the flu, RSV or just a cold? Here's what your symptoms could mean

kAm!F3=:4 962=E9 @77:4:2=D 92G6 D66? Q6=6G2E65Q =6G6=D @7 2== E9C66 G:CFD6D 4:C4F=2E:?8 :? E96 &]$] 29625 @7 E96 9@=:52JD[ r6?E6CD 7@C s:D62D6 r@?EC@= 2?5 !C6G6?E:@? s:C64E@C #@496==6 (2=6?D<J H2C?65]k^Am

kAmx7 J@FVC6 766=:?8 D:4<[ :E 42? 36 E@F89 E@ 5:776C6?E:2E6 2>@?8 r~'xs\`h[ E96 7=F 2?5 #$' 3642FD6 E96J D92C6 D:>:=2C DJ>AE@>D 2?5 42? 2=D@ =@@< =:<6 E96 4@>>@? 4@=5]k^Am

kAm(96? :E 4@>6D E@ r~'xs\`h[ E96 rsr C6A@CED 42D6D 2?5 562E9D 92G6 366? C:D:?8] |62?H9:=6[ (2=6?<DJ D2:5 E92E 7=F 2?5 #$' 42D6D 2C6 9:896C E92? H92EVD 366? 9:DE@C:42==J EJA:42= E9:D D62D@?]k^Am

kAmxEVD A@DD:3=6 E92E J@F >:89E 36 D:4< H:E9 @?6 @7 E96 G:CFD6D] qFE <66A :? >:?5 E92E 7C@> =2E6 pF8FDE E9C@F89 |2C49[ :EVD 2=D@ 2 AC:>6 E:>6 E@ 86E 2 4@=5[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]9@A<:?D>65:4:?6]@C8^962=E9^4@?5:E:@?D\2?5\5:D62D6D^4@>>@?\4@=5RiOiE6IEl!6@A=6Ta_2C6Ta_>@DETa_=:<6=JTa_E@[2?5Ta_4=@D6Ta_E@Ta_6249Ta_@E96C]Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm244@C5:?8 E@ y@9?D w@A<:?D |65:4:?6k^2m]k^Am

kAmw6C6VD H92E J@FC DJ>AE@>D >2J >62?]k^Am

k9amp> x D:4< H:E9 r~'xs[ #$'[ E96 7=F @C D:>A=J 2 4@=5nk^9am

kAmq67@C6 86EE:?8 :?E@ DJ>AE@>D[ @?6 492C24E6C:DE:4 E92E r~'xs\`h[ E96 7=F 2?5 #$' D92C6 :D E92E E96JVC6 C6DA:C2E@CJ :?764E:@?D 27764E:?8 E96 2:CH2JD[ =F?8D[ D:?FD6D 2?5 E9C@2E] %96 4@=5 :D D:>:=2C :? E92E :E :D 2? FAA6C C6DA:C2E@CJ :?764E:@? 27764E:?8 E96 ?@D6 2?5 E9C@2E]k^Am

kAmr~'xs\`h 2?5 E96 7=F 92G6 BF:E6 2 76H @G6C=2AA:?8 DJ>AE@>D[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]454]8@G^7=F^DJ>AE@>D^7=F\GD\4@G:5`h]9E>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm244@C5:?8 E@ E96 rsrk^2m[ :?4=F5:?8ik^Am

kAm— u6G6Ck^Am

kAm— r@F89k^Am

kAm— %C@F3=6 3C62E9:?8k^Am

kAm— u66=:?8 E:C65k^Am

kAm— $@C6 E9C@2Ek^Am

kAm— w6252496k^Am

kAm— '@>:E:?8k^Am

kAm— #F??J @C 2 DEF77J ?@D6k^Am

kAms:2CC962 :D =:DE65 2D 2 7=F 2?5 r~'xs\`h DJ>AE@> 3J E96 rsr] w@H6G6C[ H9:=6 2?J@?6 H:E9 r~'xs\`h 42? 6IA6C:6?46 5:2CC962[ :E :D >@C6 =:<6=J E92E 49:=5C6? H:E9 E96 7=F H:== 6IA6C:6?46 E96 DJ>AE@>[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 286?4J]k^Am

kAm%96 rsr ?@E6D E92E r~'xs\`h DJ>AE@>D >2J E2<6 =@?86C E@ D9@H FA 27E6C 2? :?:E:2= :?764E:@? 4@>A2C65 H:E9 E96 7=F]k^Am

kAm~G6C2==[ E96 7=F :D E96 >@DE =:<6=J E@ C6DF=E :? >FD4=6 2496D 2?5 2 76G6C 4@>A2C65 E@ r~'xs\`h[ 2 4@=5 2?5 #$'[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?JF=2?8@?6]@C8^?6HD^4@=5D\7=F\CDG\4@G:5\`h\H92E\5@\H96?\J@FC\49:=5\D:4<Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm244@C5:?8 E@ }*& {2?8@?6 w62=E9k^2m]k^Am

kAmx? E96 &]$][ E96 7=F 2?5 #$' 92G6 366? 9:EE:?8 49:=5C6? 92C5 2?5 @G6CH96=>:?8 9@DA:E2=D[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?AC]@C8^D64E:@?D^962=E9\D9@ED^a_aa^`a^`d^``c`efhfgg^49:=5C6?D\9@DA:E2=D\2C6\DECF88=:?8\E@\4@A6\H:E9\2\DFC86\@7\C6DA:C2E@CJ\:==?6DDQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm}!# C6A@CEDk^2m]k^Am

kAm#$'[ @C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]454]8@G^CDG^:?56I]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmC6DA:C2E@CJ DJ?4JE:2= G:CFDk^2m[ 42? 27764E 2?J@?6 H:E9 Q4@=5\=:<6Q DJ>AE@>D 2?5 92D E96 A@E6?E:2= E@ 36 >@DE D6G6C6 7@C 323:6D 2?5 @=56C 25F=ED[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 rsr]k^Am

k9am%96 >@DE 4@>>@? DJ>AE@>D @7 #$' 2?5 2 4@=5k^9am

kAm$:>:=2C=J E@ r~'xs\`h 2?5 E96 7=F[ #$' DJ>AE@>D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 p>6C:42? p4256>J @7 !65:2EC:4D[ :?4=F56ik^Am

kAm— u6G6Ck^Am

kAm— r@F89k^Am

kAm— %C@F3=6 3C62E9:?8[ :?4=F5:?8 H966K:?8 2?5 D9@CE?6DD @7 3C62E9k^Am

kAm— u66=:?8 E:C65k^Am

kAm— $EF77J ?@D6k^Am

kAm~E96C DJ>AE@>D :?4=F56 D?66K:?8[ 7=2C:?8 ?@DEC:=D[ =24< @7 2AA6E:E6[ 2?5 Q9625 3@33:?8 @C 496DE 42G:?8 :? 36EH66? 2?5 F?56C C:3D H:E9 6249 3C62E9[Q E96 p>6C:42? p4256>J @7 !65:2EC:4D C6A@CED]k^Am

kAm%96 4@>>@? 4@=5 2=D@ D92C6D @G6C=2AA:?8 DJ>AE@>D @7 r~'xs\`h[ E96 7=F 2?5 #$'[ 244@C5:?8 E@ |2J@ r=:?:4]k^Am

kAm$@>6 :?4=F56ik^Am

kAm— {@H\8C256 76G6Ck^Am

kAm— r@F89k^Am

kAm— #F??J @C DEF77J ?@D6k^Am

kAm— r@?86DE:@?k^Am

kAm|62?H9:=6[ D?66K:?8[ 3@5J 2496D 2?5 2 >:=5 96252496 2C6 2=D@ 4@=5 DJ>AE@>D]k^Am

k9amv6EE:?8 6G2=F2E65 7@C r~'xs\`h @C E96 7=Fk^9am

kAm(:E9 r~'xs\`h 2?5 E96 7=F[ E96 rsr C6A@CED E92E QJ@F 42??@E E6== E96 5:776C6?46 36EH66?Q E96 A2:C 32D65 @? DJ>AE@>D]k^Am

kAm{F4<:=J[ E96C6 :D 2 E6DE E92E 42? 56E64E H96E96C J@F 92G6 r~'xs\`h[ E96 7=F 2?5 6G6? #$' E92E J@F 42? 86E E9C@F89 2 962=E9 42C6 AC@G:56C] ~AE:@?D :?4=F56 2 E6DE >256 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]=234@CA]4@>^4@C@?2G:CFD\5:D62D6\4@G:5\`h^?6HD^=234@CA\=2F?496D\7:CDE\4@>3:?65\E6DE\4@G:5\`h\7=F\2?5\CDG\E:>6\7=F\D62D@?Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm{234@CAk^2m 2?5 2?@E96C 4C62E65 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]BF6DE5:28?@DE:4D]4@>^A2E:6?ED^86E\E6DE65^4@?5:E:@?D^:?764E:@FD\5:D62D6^4@G:5\`h^4@G:5\7=F\CDGQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm"F6DE s:28?@DE:4Dk^2m]k^Am

kAmx7 2== E9C66 2C6 CF=65 @FE[ E96C6VD A@E6?E:2= E92E J@F 4@F=5 92G6 2 4@=5]k^Am

kAmv6?6C2==J[ 8@@5 923:ED E@ AC6G6?E J@FCD6=7 7C@> 86EE:?8 D:4< :?4=F56 H2D9:?8 92?5D[ 2G@:5:?8 E@F49:?8 J@FC 7246[ 2G@:5:?8 4=@D6 A9JD:42= 4@?E24E[ DE2J:?8 9@>6 2?5 4=62?:?8 DFC7246D[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^:?E6C>@F?E2:?962=E942C6]@C8^3=@8D^E@A:4D^=:G6\H6==^a_a_^_b^e\52:=J\923:ED\E@\96=A\J@F\2G@:5\86EE:?8\D:4<^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm244@C5:?8 E@ x?E6C>@F?E2:? w62=E942C6 32D65 :? }6G252k^2m]k^Am