Do you have a cold, flu or the new Covid XEC strain? All the key symptoms revealed

IT’S that time of year again when everyone appears to be sick.

From constant sneezing and a runny nose to a hacking cough and a fever – most people are suffering with something vile.

Is it a cold? Flu? Or worse, Covid?

While Covid isn’t as prominent as it was this time last year, a new concerning variant has arrived, and cases have risen over the past few weeks.

Millions have already had the bug, and the majority of Brits also have protection due to the huge vaccine rollout. But it’s still circulating.

First detected in Germany in June, the XEC variant has now been reported in several countries – including the UK.

And now, it makes up one in 10 Covid cases in England and Wales.

As it stands, scientists believe the fresh bug is not likely to be as deadly as some of its predecessors, but it could be more contagious.

It comes as experts fear Brits may face a ‘tripledemic’ of bugs this winter, and the NHS rolls out a mass vaccine drive.

Meanwhile, the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows Covid-19 hospital admissions in England are continuing to rise.

The admission rate for patients testing positive for Covid-19 stood at 4.5 per 100,000 people in the week to October 6, up from 3.7 a week earlier.

It is the fourth weekly rise in a row.

“If you are showing symptoms of flu or Covid-19 such as a high temperature, cough, and feeling tired and achy, try to limit your contact with others, especially those who are vulnerable,” Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, from the UKHSA.

With lateral flow tests no longer free, it can be hard to know which bug you have.

Here’s how to tell the difference.

XEC

We don’t know for sure what the specific XEC symptoms are just yet.

So far, the signs aren’t too dissimilar from what we’ve seen with earlier strains.

This includes tiredness, headaches, a sore throat, a high fever and a dry cough.

The loss of taste and smell – once a hallmark sign of the bug – is only reported by two to three per cent of infected Brits, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

If you are suffering from Covid, prioritise rest and hydration while using over-the-counter medications like paracetamol to relieve symptoms.

Which cold and flu remedies actually work?

Sun Health reporter Isabel Shaw put nine well-known cold and flu remedies when she was struck with a lurgy.

Over the course of a week, she tried products targeted at all symptoms associated with cold and flu, as well as treatments that only aimed to get rid of specific issues.

These included:

1. Hot honey and lemon
2. Steam inhalation and Vicks Vaporub
3. Echinacea
4. Chicken soup
5. A spicy curry
6. Beechams All in One Oral Solution
7. Strepsils
8. Lemsip Max
9. Sudafed Blocked Nose Spray

She took into account pain reduction, and how quickly and for how long they worked.

Read her full verdicts here. 

The best way to protect yourself from Covid is to get vaccinated.

Jabs have been updated to tackle recent variants, though not specifically for XEC, which evolved from earlier Omicron strains.

The NHS is offering autumn Covid boosters to the most vulnerable in October. This includes:

• Over-64s
• People aged between six months and 64 years with health conditions that make them more vulnerable
• People living in care homes for older people
• Front-line health and social care staff, including in care homes for older people

The NHS will contact eligible patients directly, but they can also book their own appointments now via the NHS App, GPs, pharmacies, drop-in clinics, or by calling 119.

Flu

For many people, having the flu will feel like an exaggerated cold.

The NHS states that flu symptoms can come on very quickly.

They include:

1. A sudden high temperature
2. An aching body
3. Feeling tired or exhausted
4. A dry cough
5. A sore throat
6. A headache
7. Difficulty sleeping
8. Loss of appetite
9. Diarrhoea or tummy pain
10. Feeling sick and being sick

The dry cough could be similar to the cough experienced by people who have contracted coronavirus.

The NHS states that the symptoms are similar for children, but they can also get pain in their ear and appear less active.

Infection rates and hospitalisations for flu are currently stable across all age groups, according to UKHSA data.

But cases will likely rise in the coming weeks, peaking around Christmas time, according to the NHS.

The health service offers a free flu jab to those most at risk of getting the virus, so if you qualify then you can get it free anywhere that offers it.

This can be at your doctor’s surgery as well as supermarket pharmacies like Asda and high street favourites like Boots.

If you’re not in the eligible groups entitled to a free vaccination listed below, you can pay for a flu jab at certain stores.

• All children aged two and three
• All children in primary and all children in school Years seven to 11 in secondary school
• Children aged six months to 17 years with certain long-term health conditions
• Those aged six months to under 65 years in clinical risk group
• Pregnant women
• Those aged 65 years and over
• Unpaid carers
• Close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
• Frontline health and adult social care staff

A cold

Rhinovirus, more commonly known as the common cold, is a mild viral infection that circulates all year long.

Professor John Tregoning, of Imperial College London, previously told The Sun that the bug usually peaks in about October but “never really goes away”.

It’s normal for a child to have eight or more colds a year, and adults two, official guidance states.

The NHS says a common cold can cause:

1. A blocked or runny nose
2. A sore throat
3. Headaches
4. Muscle aches
5. Coughs
6. Sneezing
7. A raised temperature
8. Pressure in your ears and face
9. Loss of taste and smell

The difference between a cold and the flu is that a cold does not typically cause such a sudden spike in temperature.

There may be more blockage in the sinuses and a feeling of stuffiness, as opposed to flu which is more like total body fatigue.

With a common cold, you can usually expect to see an improvement after less than a week, although this can vary.