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Pediatric practices are expanding to address the influx of families flooding offices across the DMV with sick children. But is it COVID-19 or just the common cold?
The only surefire way to know if your child is suffering from a cold or COVID is by getting tested. Even so, testing aside, there are some hints that distinguish the two.
A telltale difference between the common cold and COVID-19 is reportedly the duration of any fever. A fever associated with a cold typically lasts a couple of days. A fever associated with COVID lasts much longer.
READ MORE: DC to merge monkeypox clinics with some COVID centers
A cold typically pops up within three days of exposure. The coronavirus can surface within up to two weeks of exposure, and COVID-19 can be accompanied by stomach flu-like symptoms.
Annapolis-based PM Pediatrics Senior Advisor Dr. Christina Johns says while COVID-19 and the common cold are both caused by viruses, the common cold is caused by rhinoviruses.
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Pediatricians say they’re seeing more patients earlier this year with the cold and flu. Doctors and other health officials encourage everyone who is eligible to get their COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot.