| Symptoms | Cold | Flu |
| body aches or pains | slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold | severe aches and pains are common with the flu |
| chills | chills are not common with a cold | chills may happen with a flu |
| dry cough (with no mucus) | dry cough rarely happens with a cold | dry cough is common with the flu |
| fever | fever is not common with a cold | fever is very common with the flu |
| headache | headache may happen with a cold | headache is very common with the flu |
| productive cough (with mucus) | productive cough is very common with a cold | productive cough rarely happens with the flu |
| sneezing/runny nose | sneezing/runny nose are common with a cold | sneezing/runny nose may occasionally happen with the flu |
| sore throat | sore throat is very common with a cold | sore throat may happen with the flu |
| stuffy nose | stuffy nose is common with a cold | stuffy nose may occasionally happen with the flu |
| tiredness | tiredness is fairly mild with a cold | tiredness is intense and very common with the flu |