Difference between a viral and bacterial cold

A viral cold differs only slightly from a bacterial cold in terms of symptoms: When infected by viruses, the body temperature rarely rises above 38°C. A feeling of discomfort sets in. Fatigue, exhaustion and aching limbs spread throughout the body.

Once the full picture of the cold is reached, the symptoms improve slowly but steadily from day to day until they finally disappear after about 7-10 days. An improvement occurs independently of the medication taken, even without the intake of certain drugs, the symptoms will decrease by themselves. In the case of a bacterial infection, however, the fever can rise above 38°C and the symptoms often hardly improve noticeably over several days.

The complaints or pain often occur more locally in the affected area (throat, tonsils, ears, larynx). Without treatment with medication, there is often no significant improvement. The duration of bacterial colds is often longer, up to 14 days.

Is a viral cold more contagious?

The question of whether a viral cold is more contagious than a bacterial one cannot be answered in such a generalized way. The degree of the danger of infection does not always depend on whether the causative pathogens are bacteria or viruses. Rather, the individual characteristics of the respective pathogens are decisive for infectivity.

If, for example, the pathogen can adhere particularly well to body surfaces or penetrate tissue, an infection can occur more easily and quickly. The ability to multiply rapidly also plays a role. Another measure of infectivity is the minimum infectious dose: the fewer pathogens are sufficient to cause an infection, the more infectious they appear. There are both highly or more highly infectious viruses and bacteria.

Diagnosis of a viral cold

The diagnosis of a viral infection or a viral cold is usually made on a purely clinical basis, i.e. solely on the basis of the complaints described and the symptoms examined. Further examinations are usually not necessary, blood samples or imaging examinations are not taken. It is important that the attending physician excludes a real flu (influenza virus), but this is also possible in most cases based on the interview and examination. If it is a real flu, a suitable therapy will be initiated promptly.