Flu or cold: how they differ

Difference between the flu and a cold

Cough, cold, aching limbs, sore throat - these are all symptoms of a cold. They are usually triggered by rhinoviruses. Adults catch it around twice a year, children even more often. Many people then call it the flu or a flu-like infection. In fact, it is a cold.

Flu can be dangerous

Flu, on the other hand, comes on from one minute to the next, is associated with a high temperature, can last up to three weeks and can be seriously dangerous. Around 20,000 people in Germany die from it every year.