The acute phase of viral flu and AIDS differ in etiology, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests and prognosis. 1. Etiology (1) Viral cold: Most of them are symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections caused by common viral infections, such as rhinovirus, coronavirus, adenovirus and influenza. (2) Acute phase of AIDS: refers to an infectious disease characterized by severe immunodeficiency caused by human immunodeficiency virus infection. (2) Clinical manifestations: viral cold and AIDS acute stage Both can cause fever, cough, headache and other symptoms. However, in the acute phase of AIDS, there may be skin rashes, swollen lymph nodes and neurological symptoms that are not found in viral colds. 3. Laboratory tests (1) Viral cold: normal or low white blood cell count with elevated lymphocyte ratio. (2) Acute stage of AIDS: HIV antibody can be detected in serum, and there is a transient decrease in CD4+ T-lymphocyte count, and some patients may have mild leukopenia or thrombocytopenia. 4.Prognosis (1) Viral flu: natural remission or recovery usually occurs after 1-2 weeks, with improvement with the use of antiviral drugs, such as ribavirin. (2) Acute stage of AIDS: The body’s immune system gradually decreases after HIV infection, and eventually opportunistic infections and malignant tumors appear, which can eventually lead to death. If the patient has similar symptoms that cannot be recognized, please seek medical advice from a professional doctor for diagnosis and timely treatment to avoid delay.