Cold vs COVID-19
Is it a cold or COVID-19?
You cannot tell them apart from symptoms alone. COVID-19 causes a high temperature, cough, sore throat, blocked nose and tiredness, and a cold can cause all of those too. Testing is the only reliable way to know. If you do not test, the advice is the same either way — stay at home while you have a high temperature or feel too unwell for normal activities. If you test positive for COVID-19 the advice differs: avoid contact with others for 3 days (under 18) or 5 days (18 and over) after the test, and avoid anyone more likely to get seriously ill for 10 days.
Immediate action required: call 999 or go to A&E if
- Sudden chest pain
- So breathless you cannot say short sentences while resting, or your breathing suddenly gets worse
- Coughing up blood
- You collapse, faint, or have a seizure for the first time
- Someone seems very unwell, is getting worse, or you think something is seriously wrong — babies and children in particular can get unwell very quickly
- A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
If you are weighing up whether it is bad enough to call, that is itself a reason to call. Nobody is annoyed by a 999 call that turns out to be the less serious of the two.
| Feature | Common Cold | COVID-19 |
|---|---|---|
| Typical signs |
|
|
| How long it lasts | 7–10 days | Most people feel better within a few weeks, some take longer |
| What helps | Rest, fluids, paracetamol, pharmacy remedies for a blocked nose | Rest, fluids, paracetamol or ibuprofen. Take a lateral flow test as soon as symptoms start if you are eligible for COVID-19 treatments |
| What to do | Self-care at home | Self-care at home |
Sources and further reading
This page was written from the following published guidance. All links checked 26 August 2026.
What to do next
Not sure whether this needs a doctor? These are your options, cheapest and fastest first.