Cold and flu symptoms are similar but flu tends to be more severe.
The differences between colds and flu
| Cold |
Flu |
| Appears gradually |
Appears quickly within a few hours |
| Affects mainly your nose and throat |
Affects more than just your nose and throat |
| Makes you feel unwell but you're OK to carry on as normal – for example, go to work |
Makes you feel exhausted and too unwell to carry on as normal |