How to tell if it’s a cold or novel coronavirus pneumonia

  Novel coronavirus infection pneumonia mainly presents with fever, malaise, dry cough, and rarely with nasal congestion, runny nose, and diarrhea. Patients with colds have symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose and sneezing, and usually recover on their own in about a week.  If a patient has only cold symptoms, has not lived or traveled to an area where the disease is endemic, and has not been in contact with an infected person, he or she may first be isolated at home for 14 days without going to a hospital. If the symptoms gradually ease during the observation period, it may be a cold. If the symptoms gradually worsen, with fever, chills, diarrhea and difficulty in breathing, it is suspected to be a new coronavirus infection pneumonia and should go to the nearest designated hospital as soon as possible.