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

[Owlonbranchtwo]

As per title.

I was on a residential course two weeks ago. COVID ripped through the class, knocking out 11 of the 16 participants. Symptoms ranged from an uncontrollable 3-day headache, fatigue, barking cough, exhaustion for a number of them (all symptoms each), to a mild sore throat for one of them. All of them were unable to work for a week (apart from the mild throat one who WFH anyway), so several of them lost money due to self employment. Several tested negative for the first few days until around day 3 or 4, although a few showed immediately. As I was in contact with most of them on the group chat, I can say that very few of them thought they had a bad cold. It really was something else. Ditto for a friend who had the razor throat variant, and for my own partner who was horribly unwell with it for a week recently. Bizarrely, I managed to not catch it both times, which as an asthmatic I'm infinitely grateful for. Like a common cold it definitely was not.

This.

I've had Covid twice. The first time l was in bed for days, barely making it to the bathroom..so sick . The second time l just had a horrible pain in my back for a few days. Only knew it was Covid as we were still testing then. Neither were as bad as a horrible flu l got a few years before that where l was so sick, pains all over, miserable for a long time and just couldn't even get out of bed for days. Not wishing any of them to return.

its worth bearing in mind that long covid is still very under researched and not well understood. I have ME following glandular fever, but i meet lots of fellow ME/CFS sufferers who got it following covid infection.

I did see a thread recently where someone was talking about norovirus and I wondered if I’d time travelled back decades ago to when norovirus first appeared. Obviously I’m being sarcastic there, but this is what it sounds like to me when people talk about covid as though it’s in the past.

I care, which is why I started the thread.
I’m genuinely curious. I’m not trying to convert people to my way of thinking on this thread - I’m trying to understand different viewpoints, including ones that make little sense to me, which is why I’d like to understand yours.

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.

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.

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 🤷‍♂️

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'.

Re: thread doesn’t make much sense, I was referring to people who say “covid is just a cold”, so presumably they would be equating the severity of their colds to covid. I think that if like for like on initial symptoms, the vast majority of people would rather have a common cold, than covid (given risk of health impacts on self and others).

I’d saved this to have a look at as reception was playing up. Interesting. Sorry it took me a while. It seems like there is pressure to move away from acknowledging covid to avoid doing anything. There is some reluctance to test in hospitals, so numbers will be understated, but yes, of course there should be improved monitoring. It’s a bit crap there’s a petition for this - it should just be happening.

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.

It’s a weird thing. Taking covid out of the equation, if someone asked me if I’d rather have a common cold or have the flu, both with similar symptoms, I wouldn’t need it to be in my mind to very quickly say a cold.

Tests are sold in supermarkets, chemists, online etc.

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.

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.

So if you were given the hypothetical choice, you wouldn’t be bothered by which one you had?

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

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

I meant if initial symptoms were on a like for like basis. One is much more transmissible and has disabled lots of people in a short space of time and is linked to longer term health issues.

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

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.

That seems the obvious answer, so I’m really intrigued by those who say different. Why wouldn’t they want the least risky option for themselves and others?

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.

It is often framed as a respiratory illness, although I appreciate its vascular. I’m assuming the ones who say “it’s just a cold” have just felt it like a cold, but that they do actually understand that for many, it isn’t, which is why I added the room a and b bit. If you can help me phrase the question better, I’d appreciate it. I really want to understand the logic behind why people would say it doesn’t matter. It would be like a smoker being offered two cigarettes, both tasting the same, but for one the smell disappears upon finishing it and there are no long term effects on self or others and then saying “I don’t care, both make me cough a little when I have the first one of the day”. I don’t understand it.

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.