NEW YORK, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- As flu season approaches in the United States, many are confused on the difference between a cold and flu.
Dr. Seth Feltheimer of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia says a cold comes gradually and is usually an upper respiratory tract infection with sore throat, head congestion, sinus pain and low-grade fever that lasts two to three days.
The flu comes on suddenly and has a higher fever, a sore throat, a cough and body aches and can take a week or longer to run its course. It can lead to serious complications, especially for high-risk individuals such as asthmatics and the elderly.
The best way to prevent a cold or flu is to wash hands frequently and avoid people with colds because colds are transmitted by touching something that an infected person has touched, or by breathing droplets emitted by an infected person.
In any event, a cold or flu is a virus and, therefore, cannot be treated with antibiotics.
