The CDC has a great chart to help decipher between the common cold and influenza. Sometimes you’ll never know what is in your house and body (!) unless you go in and get tested to identify the virus of cause. But in general, influenza causes a more abrupt onset of illness. You’re fine and then, BAMMO. Influenza often causes severe “cold” symptoms, a high fever, runny nose, cough, congestion, and can lead to things like pneumonia, ear infections, long-lasting fever, dehydration, etc. Young children are at a higher risk for more serious disease (and hospitalization) than older children, so parents should check in with their physician if they are concerned about their infant or toddler’s infection when the flu is peaking.

Most of the time children just look crummy when they get the flu: tired, clingy, feverish, coughing, and lack energy. If this comes on suddenly or parents worry about dehydration, rapid breathing, high fever or lethargy, they should call their child’s healthcare team. Abrupt symptom onset, fever, aches, chills, fatigue, cough, and headache are common. So are muscle aches, especially in the lower legs. I often tell families that influenza makes people feel so bad that patients will complain their hair hurts or even their skin.