Colds and flu are infections of the nose and throat. Both are caused by viruses.
It can be hard to tell if your child has a cold or the flu. Why? They both have the same type of symptoms. But symptoms for the flu are worse than ones for a cold. Flu symptoms come on fast. Ones for a cold come on slower.
Is it a Cold or the Flu?
Symptoms
Cold
Flu
Fever
Maybe. If so, the fever is very mild.
Yes. It can be a high fever.
Chills
No
Yes
Headache
Not in most cases
Yes. Your child may feel dizzy, too.
Body aches and pain
Mild, if any
Yes. Your child’s body may ache all over.
Fatigue
Mild, if any. Your child still has energy to do most things.
Yes. Your child may not have enough energy to get out of bed.
Stuffy nose. Sneezing. Runny nose.
Yes. Mucus from the nose can start out watery and then be yellow or green.
Sometimes
Sore throat
Your child may feel a tickle in the throat before other symptoms. The throat feels scratchy.
Yes
Cough
Yes. It is a hacking cough.
Yes. The cough can become severe.
Loss of appetite
No
Yes
Nausea. Vomiting. Diarrhea.
No
Sometimes
Antibiotics do not treat colds and flu. Most colds clear up in about a week. Sometimes, a cold lasts up to 2 weeks.
Fever and most flu symptoms usually go away after 5 days, but coughing and feeling weak can last up to 2 weeks.
Prevention
Take your child for a yearly flu vaccine as advised.
Don’t smoke or let your child smoke.
Keep your child away from persons who have the flu or a cold.
See that your child eats and sleeps well and gets lots of exercise.
Tell your child to do these things:
Wash your hands often. Keep them away from your nose, eyes, and mouth.
Cover your nose when you sneeze. Use a handkerchief or tissues when you sneeze, cough, or blow your nose. This helps prevent passing germs to others.
Self-Care
Have your child do these things:
Rest
Drink lots of liquids. They help clear out the respiratory tract. This can help prevent other problems, like bronchitis.
Eat chicken soup. It helps clear out mucus.
Washing the hands often helps stop spreading the flu. Have your child wash his or her hands:
After playing with others
When he or she gets home from school
After blowing their nose
After touching toys or other people’s things
COVID-19:
Kids infected by the coronavirus may not have any symptoms, or their symptoms can be mild, like the common cold. Some can have more severe flu-like symptoms. Other COVID symptoms may include a loss of taste or smell, or a variety of rashes. Talk to their doctor if you suspect they have COVID to get tested and for self-care instructions.
If your child’s throat is sore, have him or her do these things:
Gargle every few hours with 1/4 teaspoon of salt in 1/2 cup of warm water, if able to. (A child can usually do this starting at age 6.)
Suck on a piece of hard candy or cough drop once in a while. (Don’t give these to children under 4 years old.)
Things you can do:
Use a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier. Use distilled (not tap) water. Clean it every day.
For fever and muscle aches, give your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Make sure you give the right kind and dose for your child’s weight. (Note: Do not give aspirin. Medicines with salicylates have been linked to Reye’s Syndrome.)
Check with your child’s doctor about using over-the-counter medicines for colds and flu for children under age 2.
Call your child’s doctor if he or she gets a fever after a cold or after the flu has gone away.
Try to clear your child’s nose. This is very important in babies under 6 months old, because some have difficulty breathing through their mouths. They can’t breastfeed or bottle-feed if they can’t breathe through the nose.
To clear your child’s nose:
Use an over-the-counter spray or drops for the nose made of salt and water. An example is Ocean® brand. Follow the label’s advice or that of your child’s doctor.
For a baby who can’t blow his or her nose, leave the salt drops in for 1 minute. Then use a soft rubber suction bulb to draw out the mucus. Lie the baby on his or her back. Gently put the tip of the suction bulb into the nose. (You can get a suction bulb at the drug store.) Or use a cotton swab to wipe the mucus out. Don’t put the suction bulb or cotton swab too far into the nose. You could cause a nosebleed.
For a child who can blow his or her own nose, have the child do it 1 minute after the salt drops are in.
Triage Questions
Question 1
With or after the flu, does your child have 1 or more of these signs of meningitis?
Very bad headache that lasts. Stiff neck.
High fever. Nausea or vomiting.
Acts very sleepy and/or strange.
Red or purple, bumpy skin rash that does not fade when you press on it.
