Common Symptoms in Children for COVID, Colds, and the Flu
If your child is feeling unwell, it can be difficult to figure out what might be causing it. Many common viruses today share similar symptoms, but there are some key differences that can help guide you to a possible cause.
COVID-19, the common cold, and influenza (flu) are viral infections that spread easily among people, especially children. The severity of the symptoms can also point to a potential cause; for example, the common cold tends to be less severe than COVID or the flu.1
Knowing the symptoms of each can help you get the care your child needs. Here, we’ll identify common symptoms of COVID-19, the common cold, and the flu.
Common COVID Symptoms in Children
COVID-19 is an upper respiratory illness that looks similar to other viral infections. While they are generally the same, COVID symptoms tend to be milder in children than in adults.2
Common COVID symptoms in kids include:2,3
Fever
Chills
Cough
Sore throat
Shortness of breath
New loss of taste or smell
Headache
Extreme fatigue
Runny or stuffy nose
Nausea or vomiting
When comparing the flu versus COVID in kids, many of the symptoms overlap. Talk to your child’s doctor about getting tested for both viruses if they’re sick.2
Common Flu Symptoms in Children
The flu is caused by one of three types of viruses, known as influenza types A, B, and C. Like COVID, the flu mainly impacts the lungs, but symptoms can affect the whole body. Most of the time, children who get the flu are sick for one week or less.1
Some common flu symptoms in kids include:1,4
Fever, which can reach between 103° and 105° F
Headaches
Body aches
Cough that can become severe
Sore throat
Runny or stuffy nose
Tiredness
In some cases, children may also have gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. Flu symptoms tend to resolve after around one week, but tiredness can last up to one month.4
Common Cold Symptoms in Children
Every year, millions of people in the United States get a cold (upper respiratory infection), and this is no exception for children. In fact, the common cold leads to the most missed school days every year.5
While uncomfortable, cold symptoms tend to be milder than flu or COVID symptoms. Common kids’ cold symptoms include:5,6
Runny or stuffy nose
Watery eyes
Sneezing
Congestion
Scratchy or sore throat
Headache
Chills
Low-grade fever between 99.6° to 100.3° F
Fatigue
Body aches
Common Symptoms of COVID-19, Flu, and the Common Cold
Need a quick chart that lists common symptoms? Here, we’ve provided a table of the most common symptoms of COVID-19, the flu, and the common cold. While it is important to know the symptoms of these illnesses, please reach out to your child’s doctor if they begin experiencing any of these symptoms again, or if you have any questions or concerns.1-6
Symptoms
Headache
COVID-19 | Flu | Common Cold |
|---|---|---|
Sometimes | Common | Rare |
Fever/Chills
COVID-19 | Flu | Common Cold |
|---|---|---|
Common | Common, fever can be high | Rare, fever can be low-grade |
Cough
COVID-19 | Flu | Common Cold |
|---|---|---|
Common | Sometimes, can range from mild to moderate | Common |
Runny/Stuffy nose
COVID-19 | Flu | Common Cold |
|---|---|---|
Common | Sometimes | Common |
Sore throat
COVID-19 | Flu | Common Cold |
|---|---|---|
Common | Common | Common |
Body aches
COVID-19 | Flu | Common Cold |
|---|---|---|
Sometimes | Common | Sometimes |
Fatigue/Exhaustion
COVID-19 | Flu | Common Cold |
|---|---|---|
Common | Common | Sometimes |
Nausea/Vomiting/Diarrhea
COVID-19 | Flu | Common Cold |
|---|---|---|
Sometimes | Sometimes | Rare |
References
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. Influenza (Flu) in Children, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/influenza/influenza-flu-in-children
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. COVID in Babies and Kids: Symptoms and Prevention. June 22, 2022, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-in-babies-and-children
- Yasuhara J, et al. Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in children: A systematic review. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2020;55(10):2565-2575, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ppul.24991
- Kumar, V. Influenza in Children. Indian J Pediatr. 2017;84(2):139-143, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12098-016-2232-x
- Stanford Medicine. Common Cold in Children, https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=upper-respiratory-infection-uri-or-common-cold-90-P02966
- Troullos E, Baird L, Jayawardena S. Common Cold Symptoms in Children: Results of an Internet-Based Surveillance Program. J Med Internet Res. 2014;16(6):e144, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4090373/
Links to other parties’ articles and websites are provided for convenience only. Kenvue is not responsible for their content.