Flu symptoms seems very similar to coronavirus. How can I tell if I have COVID-19 or just the flu?

It could be difficult to know if you have flu or COVID-19, based on symptoms alone as many are similar, e.g. fever, headache, sore throat, fatigue, aches and pains. The most predominant symptoms in COVID-19 are fever, dry cough and new loss of taste and/or smell. If you have any of these symptoms or suspect you could have COVID-19 you should follow the advice to self-isolate, book a test, and stay in isolation until you get results. Then follow instructions if the COVID-19 test result is positive.

Flu (also known as influenza) tends to affect the whole body and can lead to complications such as pneumonia in vulnerable people. For this reason, many more flu vaccinations are being made available free through the NHS this year, to protect a greater number of people and especially those in more vulnerable groups. You can find more information about getting a flu vaccine here.