How are the early symptoms of novel Coronavirus different from those of the common cold?

The differences between them are mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Breathing: Cold patients usually show nasal congestion, runny nose and so on. Generally do not appear dyspnea, shortness of breath and other symptoms. However, in the early stages of COVID-19, in addition to nasal congestion and runny nose, patients may also show increased breathing rates and breathing difficulties.

Cough: cold patients generally appear in the late cough symptoms, often manifested as sore throat, throat itching, etc.. Early stage of COVID-19 patients may have obvious cough, mainly dry cough, accompanied by phlegm, wheezing, etc. And may even interfere with sleep;

Fever: cold patient can appear fever, but through timely treatment, can be in 48-72 hours commonly antipyretic, the effect is often better when using antipyretic medicine. However, in the early stages of COVID-19, fever usually lasts more than 72 hours, but some severely ill patients are more unusual and may only show symptoms such as low fever and mild fatigue. Antipyretic drugs are generally ineffective.

Incubation period: cold patient does not have incubation period commonly, more 1-2 weeks after coming on. But patients in the early stages of COVID-19 may have an incubation period, usually between 2 and 14 days, averaging about 7 days.

In the face of novel coronavirus, we should not take the coronavirus pandemic lightly. We should wear masks when going out, wash our hands and disinfect them frequently, and we should be aware of the epidemic prevention for all.