Early symptoms of novel coronavirus pneumonia are similar to those of other respiratory infections, with fever, cough, scratchy throat, malaise, headache, and muscle and joint pain. Most people with influenza have a high fever of 38.5°C or higher, and children with influenza may have a high fever of 39°C or higher and more severe cough symptoms. The vast majority of people with influenza recover from the onset of the disease in about 1 week, show significant improvement, and have a short course of illness. In contrast, novel coronavirus pneumonia is generally characterized by low and moderate fever, i.e., 38.3°C-38.5°C at most. Most patients have a fever not exceeding 38°C and also have cough and malaise, but to a lesser extent than influenza. Symptoms of novel coronavirus pneumonia start to worsen after 1 week, while influenza has improved significantly in about 1 week. In addition, the common cold can cause fever and cough, but sneezing and runny nose are more common than influenza and novel coronavirus pneumonia. Therefore, if you have a fever, cough or high fever, you are more likely to consider influenza. If sneezing and runny nose are present, it is more likely to be the common cold. However, if the above-mentioned symptoms continue to worsen after 1 week, it is more likely to consider novel coronavirus pneumonia. Content source: Dr. Yurai