COVID-19 isn't giving everyone "the worst flu", certainly not to the extent that it requires a hospital visit. Most confirmed cases report mild symptoms. Without the expectation of having contracted COVID-19, getting a cold - even a relatively bad one - would not cause panic.

You're also more likely to develop pneumonia from Influenza than from COVID-19, especially if you're young. If you presented to a doctor oblivious of COVID-19 (or SARS), they would assume it is Influenza.