 how to tell the difference between a cold and the flu how to tell the difference between a cold and the flu what are the symptoms of colds and flu  runny or blocked nose  more common with colds than with flu body aches  usual and often severe with flu and are less common with colds cough  you may experience a cough with both colds and flu extreme exhaustion  can occur at the beginning of a bout of flu but is not a symptom of a cold fatigue and weakness  can last for three weeks with the flu and is less common with a cold fever  can last three or four days with the flu and is unusual with a cold headache  rare with colds and common with flu sneezing  more likely to occur with a cold than flu sore throat  more common with a cold than flu nausea and vomiting  common in children with the flu and is rare for all ages with a cold important differences although cold and flu symptoms can be similar the main differences are that flu symptoms tend to come on more abruptly than cold symptoms in addition they tend to be more severe and last longer flu and the common cold are not the same flu is a serious disease that can lead to bronchitis croup pneumonia ear infections heart and other organ damage brain inflammation and brain damage death busting cold and flu myths myth 1  the flu is not a serious illness in fact the flu can be serious while many people may experience a mild illness the flu typically leads to thousands of gp visits each year and is a common cause of hospitalisation complications from the flu can occasionally result in death myth 2  you can catch a cold or the flu from cold weather or being caught in the rain in fact both a cold and flu are caused by viruses not weather myth 3  colds and flu can be treated with antibiotics in fact both are viral infections and do not respond to antibiotic treatment myth 4  healthy people don t need a flu shot in fact annual flu vaccination is recommended for australians aged 6 months or older no vaccine for the common cold there is no vaccine against the common cold however there is for the flu talk to your gp or pharmacist about flu vaccines and how you can protect yourself against the flu healthy fri 10072022 1248  