Here’s what you need to know about summer cold symptoms, how they differ from signs of COVID-19, and what to do if you start feeling a bit crummy.

Most people get colds in the winter and spring, and a summer cold happens for the same reason: A person comes into contact with another person who is sick, says Richard Watkins, M.D., an infectious disease physician and professor of internal medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical University.

The symptoms of a summer cold are the same as they are for a cold any other time of year.

Most people with summer colds recover in seven to 10 days, but some people with weakened immune systems, asthma, or respiratory conditions may develop complications like bronchitis or pneumonia, the CDC says.

The signs of COVID-19 and a cold are incredibly similar and “very difficult to differentiate,” Dr.

It’s more likely that you have a summer cold instead of COVID-19 if you develop symptoms after you’ve been fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, but Dr.

Bottom line: If you happen to develop the symptoms of a cold this summer, call your doctor—it’s better to be sure and breathe a sigh of relief when it’s good news