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Key points

• A cold and influenza differ in degree: a cold’s symptoms are milder and complications are less likely. Influenza is the more serious of the two.
• A short rule of thumb: fever first, aches second, exhaustion third — influenza usually brings fever, headache and a marked tiredness.
• Beyond fever and cough, what is most feared is that influenza can set off serious complications.
• Those most likely to develop them are people whose immunity is weaker or lower: young children, older people, and patients whose illness lowers their immunity.
• Influenza’s complications include pneumonia, myocarditis and encephalitis. In severe cases they can be fatal.