According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the three common respiratory viruses, such as COVID, RSV and flu, occur during the fall and winter seasons.

The Hill has created the following table that compares the illnesses at a glance, using “information from Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”.

Symptom	COVID-19	RSV	Flu	Strep
Loss of taste/smell	Sometimes	Rare	Rare	Not common
Trouble breathing	Sometimes (can be severe)	Common	Not common	Not common
Cough	Common (usually dry)	Common	Common (can be severe)	Not common
Sneezing	Not common	Common	Rare	Not common
Fever	Common	Common	Common	Common
Runny/stuffy nose	Sometimes	Common	Sometimes	Not common
Sore throat	Sometimes	Common	Sometimes	Common
Fatigue	Sometimes	Sometimes	Common	Sometimes
Headaches	Sometimes	Rare	Common	Sometimes
Body aches	Sometimes	Rare	Common	Sometimes
Diarrhea/nausea/vomiting	Sometimes	Rare	Sometimes	Sometimes

The Hill explains their general symptoms like this:

• “COVID-19 symptoms often start slow, then escalate quickly, according to Children’s National. Most people see symptoms resolve in about a week, but some can feel lingering effects for weeks or even months.
• “RSV symptoms can also start mild before getting more serious. Most people feel better in a week or two, according to the CDC, but young infants and the elderly are most vulnerable. In some cases, they may need to be hospitalized to be treated.
• “The flu, unlike the other two viruses, usually comes on abruptly. For the majority of people who get it, they’ll feel better in a few days. However, some people develop complications, such as pneumonia, and therefore experience more severe illness.