Your son comes home from school complaining that he is ill. He tells you he thinks he has the flu—he has a sore throat, runny nose, and a cough, and his eyes are very red. Everyone in your family received a influenza vaccine about a month ago, and as the CDC reports that this year's vaccine is approximately 70% effective, you think it is unlikely that your son does in fact have this disease. In addition, your son does not seem to have muscle aches or a headache, which generally occur with flu. Nonetheless, he does look ill and when you take his temperature, you find that he has a fever of 38.9 o C. You take him to see his doctor, because you suspect that while your son likely does not have influenza, he also does not have a common cold.
-The doctor knows that your son is unlikely to have a common cold, based on which sign/symptom?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A fever is not a typical symptom of a common cold, but is common with the flu. Since the boy has a fever, the doctor can rule out the common cold and further investigate other possible causes of his illness.

Your Son Comes Home from School Complaining That He Is