Winter brings a familiar soundtrack at work. Sniffles. Sick days. And the same question every year: is it a cold, the flu, or Covid?

A GP, Dr Rupa Parmar, says you can often spot the difference by how the cough behaves.

First, think about the flu. It tends to hit hard and fast. The cough often feels dry. You may also feel suddenly wiped out.

Next, think about a common cold. It usually creeps in. The cough often stays milder. The symptoms often feel annoying rather than dramatic.

Then comes Covid. Many people also get a dry cough. However, Dr Parmar says the key clue is persistence. A Covid cough often keeps going. It can feel continuous. The NHS describes this as coughing a lot for more than an hour, or having three or more coughing episodes within 24 hours.

That single detail does not replace a test or a medical opinion. Still, it can guide your next step. Rest. Limit close contact, especially around vulnerable people. And if symptoms worry you or worsen, contact a clinician for advice.