SYMPTOMS
All three viruses can affect different parts of the body and can cause varying degrees of illness—from mild or none to very severe symptoms.
Because symptoms can be so similar, it may be difficult for you and even your doctor to determine if you have the flu or COVID-19 until you have been tested. If you suspect you have the flu or the coronavirus, call the University Health Center at 402-472-5000 for evaluation and to arrange testing if appropriate.
TRANSMISSION
How quickly will I develop symptoms?
COVID-19 has an incubation period of up to 14 days, and the average time from infection to becoming symptomatic is five days. Although the exact time from infection to the point where you can transmit the virus is uncertain, it is believed to be approximately two days before symptoms start.
Flu symptoms usually begin more quickly than COVID-19 or the common cold—within about two days of being infected. Like COVID-19, people with the flu and a cold can pass it on to someone else before they know they are sick.
How contagious is the flu compared to COVID-19?
Direct contact with respiratory droplets caused by coughing, sneezing or talking has been the primary known method of transmission for both illnesses. These droplets usually do not travel more than 6 feet, which is why it is important to stay at least 6 feet apart from others and wear a face covering.
However, tiny respiratory droplets called aerosols may also spread COVID-19 under the right conditions. Aerosols are small enough to float further than large respiratory droplets, which are heavier and fall more quickly to the ground.
People with COVID-19 can be contagious for 10 days or more after symptoms first appear, according to the CDC. This is a longer contagion period than people with influenza, so they can infect more people.
Most people who develop the flu are contagious for about one day before symptoms appear. And because symptoms usually appear more quickly, they can isolate themselves from others early on. People with the flu are usually contagious for the initial three to four days while they are ill and for about seven days after.
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