AIBU to think that those who say “covid is just a cold” would rather just have a cold than covid if given the choice?

Exactly this ^

Covid, colds and flu can vary in severity, so I'd probably rather have none of them!

I don’t care if I catch COVID. Didn’t during the pandemic either. I’ve yet to catch it though despite working all the way through it in a warehouse

Depends how bad the cold and how bad the Covid! Had Covid that laid me flat for days and Covid that I barely knew I had. Same with colds - some are sniffles and some are awful.
So it depend.
Flu is the one I really want to avoid TBH.

I had covid back in January 2022,and it was far milder than a cold. It was definitely covid as the test was positive,but all I had was a slight fever and loss of appetite for a couple of days, and feeling a bit out of sorts for a week after that. When I get a cold OMFG do I know it. Non stop streaming nose,aching limbs, wracking coughing (about half the time) and generally feeling like shit. So,I'd rather have covid.

I think the question encourages respondents to view Covid as another respiratory illness in the short term. It’s not common for respiratory illnesses to have other effects but to be localised. So a cold means localised and short term with no long term effects.

I think the question should be framed in terms of systemic effects seen in Covid but not other respiratory illnesses even where obvious symptoms to the sufferer in the short term are comparable. Eg choosing a room with someone with a cold or Covid is comparable in terms of immediate symptoms. But your choice of Covid may mean life affecting cognitive impairment in the longer term. A higher risk or heart disease or stroke. If you knew the longer term risks, would you make the same choice?

No longer testing now the pandemic is over is rational on an individual level for most people. Ignoring scientific research on a population or global level of future health is not.

I have no opinion. Like I say I have not thought about Covid for 4 years or so, and have not kept up with the various strains. Not on my radar at all.

In that case I'd take my chances with the cold!

I tested positive for Covid when my husband had it, i wasn't sick at all so it really depends what kind of Covid you get really

Not really. Are you going to get a test to see what virus type it is every time you’re unwell?

Colds are never that bad IME, flu is always awful. I've had Covid twice and both times it was horrible, far worse than a cold. I'd take a cold over covid any day. I knew both times that it was covid because I'd never had a cold/flu like it. Splitting throat/head, total exhaustion and trouble with breathing.

People I know will still say if they've had covid recently. It's still definitely a thing round here.

Tests may well be on sale, it doesn’t mean people are buying them in great numbers. I no longer live in the UK, but I recall they were piled high in my local Boots in 2022/2023 with barely anyone buying them even then. I would be amazed if sales were strong in 2025.

Like I say, Covid is just not on anyone’s radar anymore and hasn’t been for years. MN is the only place I see it mentioned.

I think most people put Covid out of their mind some 4 years ago and wouldn’t really give this question a second thought. How would you even know you had it? I don’t know anyone who has tested for it since 2021.

If you'd asked this a few weeks ago, I would have been in the 'Covid is just a cold' camp, BUT having caught it a couple of weeks ago, I now think differently. I felt really ill, with a horrid headache which would not shift (and I rarely get headaches), lethargic and the worst cough ever. Two weeks on, I am feeling better but still have a really bad cough in the mornings. I no longer think it is 'just a cold'.

This thread doesn't make much sense really OP.

It depends entirely on the severity of either.

I've had Covid 3 times. The first 2 times (only tested because it was 2020 and work made me), I've had far worse hangovers. The 3rd time was awful.

Equally I've had mild colds and very heavy ones 🤷‍♂️

At this point for most people covid is just like the whole range of other virsuses out there - the flu - the many cold causing ones - and the other Corona viruses

I seen speculation that some prior flu pandemics may have been now circulating conorna vrisues -The enigma of the 1889 Russian flu pandemic: A coronavirus?

There is a vaccine for this one virus available to vunerable people - and there is again more interest in post viral sypoms and effects.

Our family scattered and it is diffciult when accomodation and transport need to be booked in advance and then someone gets a bad cold - but round old people and young kids I think it's only polite it's mentioned prior to turning up.

I've been ill with covid, ill with flu, ill with nuro been ill with norovirus twice - that was really nasty - had colds be mild to some family members and put others in hopsital.

I don't know anyone who is testing for covid - so I don't believe most of the population really knows what virsus is causing their symptoms.

https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2022/01/it-flu-covid-19-allergies-or-cold

The virus that causes cold and covid are not the same and the symptoms of a cold are generally mild whereas with covid can be very severe.

The link above has a chart of symptoms near then end of the article and the symptoms of covid are more similar to flu than a cold.

My bout of covid triggered my auto immune disease whereas a cold never had that effect on me. Id choose a cold all day long but not sure about covid v flu.