(NEXSTAR) — It’s that time of year again. The coughing, sneezing and sniffling is all around us, as both influenza and COVID-19 start to spread.
When you start to feel sick, it can be hard to tell which respiratory virus you’ve been hit with. The flu and COVID share a lot of common symptoms: fever, congestion, a sore throat, coughing, fatigue and aches.
However, the symptoms’ onset usually differs, according to Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. While COVID symptoms tend to start gradually then escalate rapidly, the flu hits hard and fast from the get-go.
The viruses also have different incubation periods, according to the Mayo Clinic. Flu symptoms usually start between one and four days after someone is exposed to the virus. Meanwhile, it can take anywhere from two to 14 days for COVID symptoms to appear.
The best way to tell which virus you have is, of course, to take a test. Pharmacies now sell at-home kits that can test for both viruses simultaneously.
If you’re really unlucky, you may test positive for both. It’s possible to have COVID and flu at the same time, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Figuring out which virus you have can help you get better treatment, like antiviral medications.
“For both flu and for COVID, we have antivirals that work if taken early after signs of symptoms,” Dr. Andrew Pekosz, a virologist and professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, previously told Nexstar. “So particularly if you’re in a high-risk group, it’s good to know that. … Those are important tools that we really have to keep using.”
If you test positive for flu or COVID, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends staying home and away from others to prevent spreading the illness to others. The agency advises seeking medical treatment if you’re experiencing severe symptoms or if you’re at risk for complications.