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As we lurch into fall and then winter, we also say hello to flu season, which starts in early to mid-September.

But we are also in the throes of a pandemic, and when we come down with sore throats and runny noses, how do we tell if it’s COVID-19 or something else?

The short answer is that there’s no rule, according to Dr. Mary Hayden, a professor at Rush University and head of the university’s Division of Infectious Diseases. The symptoms are so similar that “there’s really nothing that clearly differentiates one illness from the other,” making it nearly impossible to reliably self-diagnose.

But here are some quick tips from experts for when you’re wondering whether you have COVID-19, and that could help you protect yourself and the people around you.