An independent guide to flu and colds. It does not replace a doctor, does not diagnose, and does not prescribe or evaluate medicines; it has no connection with the former site on this domain. In an emergency, call 112 in Russia (or your local emergency number).
Topics
In everyday speech, “a cold” covers very different experiences, from a mild runny nose that lasts a few days to flu that puts you in bed for a week. Here we have broken the season down into topics, so it is easier to understand what is going on and to notice in time when home care is no longer enough.
Knowing how an illness usually runs is not for diagnosing yourself but for peace of mind: it makes it easier to notice when something is going wrong.
How this section works: we describe how seasonal viral infections usually show up and develop, based on general information from WHO. There are no diagnoses here and no treatment matched to symptoms. Only a doctor can tell one infection from another and decide on treatment.
Flu is caused by influenza viruses. It usually starts suddenly and feels noticeably worse than a mild cold.
The typical picture is a sudden fever, a dry cough, headache, aching muscles and joints, severe tiredness, a sore throat and a runny nose. It takes about two days from infection to the first symptoms, sometimes anywhere from one to four.
Most people recover in about a week, although the cough can last two weeks or more. In severe cases flu can lead to pneumonia, so it is important to keep an eye on how the person feels.
Colds are caused by many different viruses that infect the nose, throat and airways. Flu is one of them, but it behaves in its own way.
A runny nose, a scratchy throat and a cough can come with all sorts of viruses. Other colds often start gradually and are milder, but you cannot reliably tell them apart from flu by how you feel alone.
Trying to guess the virus from your symptoms and pick a remedy for yourself is a bad idea. If you are worried about how you feel, there is only one right step: describe it to a doctor.
The fever has gone and your strength is coming back, but the cough just will not clear. This can happen even when flu runs its normal course.
According to WHO, a cough after flu can last two weeks or more. On its own it does not mean a complication, but it is worth mentioning to your doctor at your appointment.
If the cough comes with shortness of breath, chest pain, a new rise in temperature or feeling worse overall after you had started to improve, get medical help without delay.
In countries with a temperate climate, flu epidemics happen mainly in winter.
In winter people spend more time indoors and closer together. The virus spreads easily through coughs and sneezes and moves quickly wherever many people gather, such as schools and care homes.
It is easiest to discuss the flu jab and agree on house rules before the season starts, not at the height of an epidemic when classmates and colleagues are already off sick.
For some people flu means a few rough days; for others it is more dangerous because of a higher risk of complications.
WHO includes pregnant women, children under five, people over 65, people with chronic conditions or weakened immunity, and health workers, because of their frequent contact with people who are ill.
If you or your loved ones belong to one of these groups, it is worth discussing the flu jab and a plan in case of illness with your doctor in advance: who to contact and which signs should not wait.
Young children and older people cannot always say exactly how they feel, so the adults around them need to pay closer attention.
For children and older relatives, it is best to make a plan for the season with their doctor: decide about the flu jab, talk through how to manage a fever, and write down when to call straight away.
Listlessness, refusing to drink, unusual drowsiness or muddled speech in a child or an older person are a reason to contact a doctor at once; if life is at risk, call 112 or 103 in Russia (or your local emergency number).
This is where we will collect standalone articles written for English-speaking readers about the cold-and-flu season: staying well, looking after someone who is ill, and family life when flu is going around.
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This page is based on general information about seasonal flu available at the time of writing. Advice is updated every season, so check with your doctor what is right for you and your family.