Cold and Flu

The common cold is an infection of your nose, sinuses, throat, and windpipe. Cold spread easily, especially within homes, classrooms, and workplaces. It usually lasts anywhere from a week to about 10 days. If you aren’t feeling better after 10 days, we typically recommend that you see a doctor.

Typical symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose, cough, hoarseness, body aches, headache, runny eyes and nose, fatigue, and fever.

We call it the common cold because they are widespread. It’s normal for adults to catch two to three colds a  year, while some younger kids may catch a cold four or more times a year.

The incubation period is the time between when you’re infected and when your symptoms first appear. The incubation period for the common cold is between 12 hours and three days after exposure to the virus.

Not necessarily. Our doctors will meet with you to determine if a lab test is necessary based on your symptoms. However, you may need to visit a lab if you have severe symptoms or if you have other medical problems and are at higher risk for serious infections.

The common cold and flu are respiratory illnesses caused by different viruses. Both share common symptoms and can include fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headache and fatigue.

The symptoms of COVID-19 can be similar to cold and flu. The most common symptoms are fever, cough and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. People may also experience any of the following symptoms: muscle or body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion, fatigue, headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or a loss of taste or smell. The best way to get the help you need is to have a doctor or nurse practitioner help with diagnosing your symptoms.