American Academy of Pediatrics

Does my kid have COVID-19 or just a cold? A pediatric nurse explains how to tell – and why it matters

<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/760609/original/file-20260917-70-mzuri8.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&rect=0%2C251%2C4755%2C3169&q=45&auto=format&w=1050&h=700&fit=crop" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Seasonal illnesses like the cold and COVID-19 have many overlapping symptoms. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mixed-race-girl-blowing-nose-in-classroom-royalty-free-image/138710983">Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Fall and winter mark the peak season for common respiratory infections such as COVID-19; <a href="https://theconversation.com/fdas-approval-of-the-worlds-first-vaccine-against-rsv-will-offer-a-new-tool-in-an-old-fight-4-questions-answered-205111">respiratory syncytial virus</a>, or RSV; influenza, <a href="https://theconversation.com/flu-season-has-arrived-and-so-have-updated-flu-vaccines-267058">better known as th