# It's cold in here... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 14, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-in-here/269206 "2004-10-14T16:04:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-in-here/269206/1 "2004-10-14T16:04:52Z")
OK, I’ll bite. It’s a stupidly easy question, I know… …but what’s the difference between a cold and a flu? ---
**Author:** ![Chimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@Chimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimpy)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-in-here/269206/2 "2004-10-14T17:49:52Z")
If you’re lying on the sofa with a cold and there’s a £20 note on the lawn you’ll get up and pick it up, if you’re lying on the sofa with the 'flu you won’t even realise the note is there. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-in-here/269206/3 "2004-10-14T17:54:21Z")
Both are viruses. The main [difference](http://quickcare.org/resp/colds.html) between the two lies in the type. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-in-here/269206/4 "2004-10-14T17:55:06Z")
And to add a further level of distinction: with flu, you’re worried you might die; with “gastric flu” you’re worried you might not. ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-in-here/269206/5 "2004-10-15T07:10:04Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > And to add a further level of distinction: with flu, you’re worried you might die; with “gastric flu” you’re worried you might not. Actually, most (all?) of what’s called ‘gastric flu’ is not a flu (or at least not related to common flu), but food poisoning. Still not a very nice experience, as I’m the first to admit. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-in-here/269206/6 "2004-10-15T12:51:32Z")
> [@Popup](#): > > Actually, most (all?) of what’s called ‘gastric flu’ is not a flu (or at least not related to common flu), but food poisoning. Still not a very nice experience, as I’m the first to admit. No, there’s a lot of viruses out there that cause gastro-enteritis. It’s not influenza, but it’s pretty nasty. WAG: At least half the cases of nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea are viral infections, half are “food poisoning” (which is a wide topic in itself with multiple causes). But you’re right, there is no “stomach flu”. And as one poster said in another thread: Imagine a model train chugging around a track in a hobbyist’s basement. That’s a cold. Then imagine the most powerful locomotive in the world rushing at you at full throttle. That’s influenza. QtM, MD ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-in-here/269206/7 "2004-10-15T13:26:09Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > …half are “food poisoning” (which is a wide topic in itself with multiple causes). What are water borne parasites like _Cyrptosporidium_ and _Giardia_? Or water borne bacteria like _E. coli_ or _Vibrio cholerae_? **Food** poisoning? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-in-here/269206/8 "2004-10-15T14:14:33Z")
My doctor told me last week a brief list of flu symptoms. He counted off; fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat, an overall aching, and the feeling that you’ve been run over by a truck. (I might have missed one or two, and my doc, trying not to worry me, didn’t mention death.) I’ve had it a couple of times, and that sounds about right. On the other hand, if you have all that plus a strong desire to ride a train, you may have the dreaded **Amtraks.** 😉