How do you know if you have a cold, the flu, or COVID-19?

Experts say that the best way to determine it is with tests, since the symptoms of the three diseases can coincide.

Viruses that cause colds, flu, and COVID-19 They are spread in the same way: through the droplets that come out of the nose and mouth of infected people. And in all three cases they can be transmitted before a person even knows they are infected.

What varies is the time in which a person infected with any of them begins to feel bad. Some infected with coronavirus are asymptomatic, but they could still transmit the virus.

Coughs, fever, tiredness and muscle pain are common to both the flu and COVID-19, said Kristen Coleman, an associate research professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. Specific symptoms of COVID-19 include loss of taste or smell.

Those of the common cold, meanwhile, tend to be milder, with a stuffy nose and a sore throat. Fever is more common in the flu.

Despite some false information on the internet, viruses have not merged to create a new disease. But it is possible to get the flu and COVID-19 at the same time, what some call “flurone.”

“A coinfection of any kind can make symptoms worse or worse completely,” Coleman said. “If flu cases continue to climb, we can expect to see more of these types of viral co-infections in the coming weeks or months.”

Given the coincidence of many of the symptoms caused by the three types of virus, screening tests are still the best option to determine which of them is suffered. Home flu tests are not as widely available as those for COVID-19, but some pharmacies offer tests for both viruses at the same time, Coleman said. This can help doctors prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Laboratories can also test samples for various respiratory viruses, including those for the common cold. But most do not have the ability to do so routinely, especially in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak, Coleman said.

Vaccination helps reduce the spread of viruses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of U.S say it is safe to get the flu and COVID-19 vaccine, or booster, at the same time.