Sniffles. Cough. Fever. Your child is miserable — but what exactly are you dealing with? Cold, flu, and COVID can look a lot alike, especially in kids. Here’s how to spot the difference.

The Cold

Comes on slowly. Runny nose, sneezing, mild cough, maybe a low-grade fever. Kids usually stay pretty active. It’s annoying, but manageable — and typically clears up in 7–10 days.

The Flu

Hits fast and hard. High fever, body aches, chills, exhaustion, headache. Your usually bouncy kid is glued to the couch. Flu can lead to complications like ear infections and pneumonia — especially in younger children.

COVID-19

The wildcard. Symptoms overlap with both cold and flu — fever, cough, fatigue, sore throat. Some kids lose taste or smell. Others have mild symptoms or none at all. The only way to know for sure is to test.

When to Bring Them In

High fever that won’t break. Difficulty breathing. Symptoms lasting more than a few days or getting worse. Or you just need to know what you’re dealing with.

Night Watch Manassas is here when your little one needs us most — because sick days don’t wait, and neither should you.