:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1405248116-1bad4418de074404b37027d307f9c023.jpg "COVID-19 vs. Stomach Flu: Symptoms and Remedies")
COVID can mimic allergies, colds, and flu and has also been linked to gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These GI symptoms are signs of a stomach bug—also called the stomach flu or, medically, gastroenteritis.
Some ways to tell the difference between stomach flu and COVID include assessing if you have more than GI symptoms and getting tested for COVID. Here’s more about their differences—and how to proceed before going to a healthcare provider for treatment.
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Gastroenteritis isn’t a type of flu, although it’s colloquially known as stomach flu. COVID, or SARS-CoV-2, is an infectious disease caused by a coronavirus discovered in 2019. Though the conditions are different, some of their symptoms still overlap. Here’s a side-by-side symptom comparison:
| Stomach Flu vs. COVID Symptoms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stomach Flu | COVID | |
| Abdominal pain | Yes | Yes |
| Body or muscle aches | No | Yes |
| Chills | Yes | Yes |
| Cough | No | Yes |
| Diarrhea | Yes | Yes |
| Difficulty breathing | No | Yes |
| Fatigue | Yes | Yes |
| Fever | Yes | Yes |
| Headache | Yes | Yes |
| Loss of smell or taste | No | Yes |
| Nausea | Yes | Yes |
| Runny nose or congestion | No | Yes |
| Sore throat | No | Yes |
| Vomiting | Yes | Yes |
The following factors may make people more susceptible to GI issues:
- Alcohol or cannabis use
- Increased caffeine intake
- Increased high-starch and high-sugar intake
- Lack of exercise
- Low fiber intake
- Post-infection inflammation
- Psychological stressors, like anxiety and depression or trauma
- Sleep problems
The GI symptoms related to COVID vary in how long they last. For example, research indicated that diarrhea started one to eight days after initial COVID infections and lasted from two to six days afterward.
Additionally, some GI symptoms may persist as part of long COVID. Long COVID refers to new, returning, or recurring symptoms related to the COVID infection that last longer than 12 weeks after the initial infection. Long COVID GI symptoms can include diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, and vomiting.
A stomach bug does not require medical attention in most cases. Also, you’ll want to get tested for COVID if you have any symptoms of the infection and isolate until you have your test results.
However, seek immediate medical attention if you have risk factors (e.g., a weakened immune system) for having serious illness or if you experience life-threatening symptoms, such as:
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Discolored lips, nails, or skin
- Inability to keep food or fluids down
- New or worsening confusion
- Problems with wakefulness (staying awake or waking up)
- Severe signs of dehydration, like rapid heartbeat and breathing
Because COVID shares symptoms with the stomach flu, it can be difficult to tell which illness you have. However, stomach flu consists mainly of GI symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting without other symptoms like chills or chest pains.
Stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting can persist if a person has them as part of a COVID infection. However, see a healthcare provider if you have warning signs during a COVID infection or life-threatening symptoms, like severe dehydration.
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