A physician has raised an alert regarding a particular symptom she describes as “distinctive” to COVID-19. Experiencing this symptom increases the likelihood of having COVID-19 compared to other illnesses.

During this season, falling ill is fairly common due to several factors. The drop in temperatures combined with spending more time inside with others facilitates the transmission of viruses.

Nonetheless, pinpointing the exact ailment can be challenging since the symptoms of colds, flu, and COVID-19 often overlap.

Recognizing this challenge, Dr. Rupa Parmar, a General Practitioner and medical director at Midland Health, offered guidance for distinguishing between these illnesses.

Dr. Parmar explained, “There are notable distinctions among common colds, COVID-19, and the flu that can aid in identification. Yet, if uncertainty persists, consulting your doctor is always advisable. Prioritizing health is crucial.”

Among the symptoms she highlighted, one stands out as “somewhat unique to COVID-19.” Dr. Parmar noted, “A loss of taste or smell is a symptom somewhat unique to COVID-19.”

“If you are experiencing either a change in taste or a complete loss, it is most likely that you have the coronavirus.” However, the NHS notes that a change or loss of smell can be caused by “illnesses such as a cold, flu or COVID-19”.

But on its website the NHS does not list a loss of taste or smell on its page about flu symptoms suggesting it may not be as common. It is also listed by the NHS as a less common sign of a cold.

Other symptoms

To get a better understanding of what illness you have, it’s important to take note of all the symptoms. Dr Parmar continued: “Understanding which virus you have depends on the combination of symptoms and their severity.

“A mild cough and sore throat are unlikely to be more than a cold, a fever and severe fatigue suggest the flu, while a loss of smell or taste and continuous cough point to Covid.” Another symptom she said is more common with Covid is shortness of breath.

“Shortness of breath is rare in both a cold and the flu, but as Covid more so affects the lungs due to inflammation, it is a common symptom,” she said. This is supported by the NHS, which lists shortness of breath as a sign of Covid and not flu or a cold. This is more commonly found in the case of illnesses such as Covid or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

But it is important to note that if a person doesn’t recover from the flu and it develops into something more serious, they may start to experience breathing difficulties. This can occur if the patient has pneumonia, for example.

Further to this Dr Parmar revealed that there are variations between the types of cough you can get with these illnesses. She said: “Coughs are common in all three viruses, but they have differences.

“With a cold, a cough will be mild, while a flu cough will seem dry. With Covid, a cough will be dry and continuous, and many people will cough for more than an hour or have three or more coughing episodes within a day.”