More than 200 viruses can cause a cold, with rhinovirus being the most common. Influenza viruses—three of which infect humans—cause the flu. Both illnesses share symptoms like a runny nose ...

Common cold symptoms include nasal congestion, sore throat, and sneezing, and they tend to be milder than flu symptoms. With flu, “you might wake up in the morning with a full-on fever ...

Medically reviewed by Amelia MacIntyre, DO While the common cold and influenza (the flu) are viral respiratory infections ...