Colds and flu

Before we begin

Colds and flu affect 15 million people each year in the UK. Often people make unnecessary trips to their GP when they should be resting at home. However, flu can be a serious condition for some people, so it’s important to get advice if you have flu like symptoms.

Age range

The advice given is suitable for adults and children aged 5 years and over. If your enquiry is for a child under the age of 5, call NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

Answer all of the questions carefully

The advice provided to you will depend on your answers to the questions.
Please remember that some children have difficulty in describing their symptoms, or may show symptoms slightly different to adults.

Using this assessment for another person

If you are using this health and symptom checker on behalf of someone else, the questions will be about them.