Treating a Cold and Flu the Holistic Way. Alternative medicine experts say which herbs and tricks they use on sick days. By ABC News. September 19, 2008, 11:06 AM.

Though symptoms of a cold and the flu are similar, key differences set them apart. The two illnesses develop at different rates, with colds often beginning slowly and the flu taking hold more quickly.

With these symptoms, it can be hard to know what’s making you sick, whether it’s cold, flu or COVID-19, without a test confirming the type of infection you have.

Colds are typically a mild illness, while the flu can become severe and, in some cases, deadly. What is COVID-19? COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus, according to the CDC.