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When do coughing and nasal discharge often become more noticeable during influenza?
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influenza
A colored transmission electron micrograph showing influenza viruses (red) at the outer surface of a host cell.
During an influenza infection, coughing and nasal discharge typically become more noticeable after the initial three to four days of the illness, which is the period when the patient's fever begins to subside and recovery starts.1
While the onset of influenza is characterized by an abrupt appearance of chills, fatigue, high fever, and muscle aches, these respiratory symptoms—often accompanied by lingering weakness—become more prominent as the acute systemic symptoms begin to fade.12