How to tell if you have Covid, flu, RSV or a cold

There are some different symptoms that should help you decide

People across the country are feeling ill with cold and flu-like symptoms, and have no idea what virus they have. The NHS has warned there could be a 'tripledemic' this year as people fall ill with Covid, flu and RSV.

A new Covid strain, XEC, which a GP says is 'more-flu-like' in its symptoms, has seen a more than 20% surge in reported Covid cases in England in a week. With Covid tests harder to come by since the end of the pandemic, it can be difficult to tell what virus you have - and the symptoms are very similar.

But there are some ways that could help you decide which of the viruses you have picked up. Whether you have Covid or flu, the NHS says you should "Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you have a high temperature or you do not feel well enough to do your normal activities."

But if you want to tell which virus you have, there are ways to tell. Ben Littlewood-Hilson, chief medical officer at Doctorlink, previously said having a runny nose is a big sign that what you have is a cold.

And while Covid-19 has more specific symptoms of a dry cough, fever and loss of smell or taste, the flu usually affects the whole body.

Speaking to the Metro, Dr Ravi Tomar, a GP at the Portland Medical Practice in Croydon added: "With a common cold less of the body is affected with symptoms focused on the mouth and nose; with the flu – you would expect the body as a whole to mainly be affected; with Covid, the persistent fever, dry cough and specific features like the loss in taste or smell can suggest this may be the cause."

Boots the chemist produced a chart at the height of the pandemic which can help determine what your symptoms are most likely to be.

The NHS says the main symptoms of coronavirus are:

• a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
• shortness of breath
• feeling tired or exhausted
• an aching body
• a headache
• a sore throat
• a blocked or runny nose
• loss of appetite
• diarrhoea
• feeling sick or being sick

Most people with coronavirus have at least one of these symptoms.

The NHS says flu symptoms can include:

• a sudden high temperature
• an aching body
• feeling tired or exhausted
• a dry cough
• a sore throat
• a headache
• difficulty sleeping
• loss of appetite
• diarrhoea or tummy pain
• feeling sick and being sick

The NHS says cold symptoms come on gradually and can include:

• a blocked or runny nose
• sneezing
• a sore throat
• a hoarse voice
• a cough
• feeling tired and unwell

You may also have:

• a high temperature
• aching muscles
• a loss of taste and smell
• a feeling of pressure in your ears and face

The NHS says RSV symptoms can include:

• a runny or blocked nose
• a cough
• sneezing
• tiredness
• a high temperature – signs include your back or chest feeling hotter than usual, sweatiness and shivering (chills)

Babies with RSV may also be irritable and feed less than usual.

Doctors have stressed that if you are not sure you should seek medical advice.