ITV's Dr Nighat Arif explains between having a cold, flu and Covid

ITV's Dr Nighat Arif explains between having a cold, flu and Covid The medic claims certain strains will leave people 'feeling rotten' A TV doctor has claimed there are simple ways to tell if your winter illness is one of three common conditions. Knowing the difference between a cold, the flu, or Covid will matter when it comes to treatment. Appearing on a recent episode of This Morning, women's health expert and GP Dr Nighat Arif said it is "really difficult" to tell the three diseases apart. Although symptoms are very similar, there are some key differences people need to be aware of this winter. It will help to know exactly what illness they are dealing with and the best way to treat it. Some may get better on their own, and others may need further help. She said that a common cold "tends to be milder" out of the three. She said: "I'm not saying colds can't turn into flu. They can do." She said you'll know it is the flu due to the more "severe symptoms", which can include fevers that might be extreme, either you're feeling cold or the other way. The expert added that there could be "extreme amounts" of snot or phlegm, a possible sore throat, and whole-body aches. With Covid, Dr Nighat claims it "sits between cold and flu" because the strains are changing. She said the symptoms are "very much", which tends to cause confusion. She said: "With Covid, though, there's a loss of sense of smell, if you remember back to those symptoms in the pandemic. We know that with the flu or a cold, you might not get that. "It's a change in taste as well that you can get with Covid. And, with Covid, you also get diarrhoea symptoms as well, which flu doesn't tend to classically cause." How long does each illness tend to last? This can be another indication of what you're dealing with. The quickest to clear is a cold, with Dr Nighat claiming most run their course in "about three days" compared to the flu, which can last for "up to two weeks". The NHS claims that: "[With Covid], most people feel better within a few weeks, but it can take longer to recover. For some people, it can be a more serious illness, and their symptoms can last longer." If you are unsure about what disease you may have, speak to a local pharmacist for quick advice on symptoms and over-the-counter medicine, or use NHS 111 Online to check your symptoms and get directed to the right care