Difference between common cold and covid-19
Pro Research Analysisby 
Searched over 200M research papers
Symptom Differences: COVID-19 vs. Common Cold
COVID-19 and the common cold share some symptoms, but there are important differences. COVID-19 most often causes cough (70%), fever (45–74%), muscle pain (29%), and headache (21%). In contrast, the common cold more frequently causes headache (89%), runny nose (81%), muscle pain (94%), and sore throat (84%) than COVID-19 does (21%, 4%, 29%, and 12%, respectively) . Fever is much more common in COVID-19 than in the common cold (74% vs. 40%) . Sore throat and runny nose are rare in COVID-19 but common in the common cold 13.
Loss of Smell and Taste: A Key Distinction
Loss of smell (anosmia) is a prominent symptom in COVID-19 and can occur without other nasal symptoms like runny nose or congestion. In the common cold, loss of smell usually happens together with nasal symptoms . This difference suggests that COVID-19 may affect the nervous system in a unique way compared to the common cold .
Overlapping and Unique Symptoms
Both COVID-19 and the common cold can cause upper respiratory symptoms, making them hard to tell apart at first. However, COVID-19 symptoms are more likely to include fever and cough, while the common cold is more likely to cause runny nose, sore throat, and muscle aches 13. COVID-19 can also be asymptomatic or have a wide range of symptoms, which can make early recognition difficult .
Immunity and Cross-Protection
Previous infections with common cold coronaviruses may have a mild effect on how likely someone is to get COVID-19 or how severe it becomes, but this influence is not strong . Some people, especially those with certain genetic backgrounds, may have immune cells that recognize parts of both COVID-19 and common cold viruses, which could offer some protection .
Conclusion
While COVID-19 and the common cold can look similar, COVID-19 is more likely to cause fever, cough, and loss of smell without nasal symptoms, while the common cold more often causes runny nose, sore throat, and muscle aches. Understanding these differences can help people and healthcare providers better recognize and manage these illnesses 123.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic