20 Myths and facts about cold and flu

Your cold could turn into the flu

Why it's not true: The flu and the common cold are caused by different viruses. So a cold can't really "morph" into the flu. If you or your child develops the flu, it was caused by a flu virus in the first place. Because the two types of illnesses have similar symptoms, it can be challenging to tell the difference between them based on how you feel. But, generally, the flu is worse than a cold, with more intense symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and a dry cough. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally don't result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations.