Amid the rising cases of COVID and the onset of monsoon season, many people are suffering from symptoms that look similar. The UK ZOE COVID Symptom study application shows how to spot the difference between COVID and common cold.

According to Tim Spector, an epidemiologist at King's College London and leader of the study app, fatigue and sore throat are common with both diseases. However, people down with COVID are likely to witness severe fatigue and bad throat, more so in the early hours of the day.

"Symptoms much the same except generally more fatigue and sore throat," Spector wrote on Twitter. "So best to assume it's COVID !" he said adding "hopefully this wave will be over soon".

The current global wave of COVID  infections is majorly driven by Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5. These are known to evade both immunities induced from vaccines as well as from prior COVID infection. Spector also noted that there are "twice as many COVID cases as common colds currently".

"The ratio has never been so high". In his latest YouTube video, he advised people to get tested if they spot cold-like symptoms, Express.co.uk reported. "Try and get tested if you can. If you can't get tested, assume you've got a cold and stay away from other people until you feel better."

The most common cold-like symptoms currently reported are runny nose, sore throat, headache, persistent cough, and mild and severe fatigue, the report said.