What Are the Symptoms of COVID-19?

6. Comparing COVID-19 symptoms to other illnesses

Many symptoms of coronavirus overlap with those of colds, flu, and allergies, but there are important differences. Flu and coronavirus share symptoms like cough, fever, and body aches. The main difference between the two is that flu symptoms tend to develop faster than COVID-19 symptoms, as early as one day after exposure. One telltale sign that you may be dealing with coronavirus and not flu is if you lose your sense of smell or taste, but the only way to know for sure is to take a test.

Cold symptoms are also similar to flu and COVID-19 but are generally milder and do not last as long.

Allergies can also cause a runny nose and sneezing. If you have itchy eyes or ears or if your symptoms respond to allergy medication, you are likely experiencing an allergic response and are not contagious.