COVID-19: symptoms, how long it lasts, what to do and treatment

The NHS says COVID-19 symptoms can include the following. They are very similar to symptoms of other illnesses, such as colds and flu.

• A high temperature: you may feel hot, cold or shivery, or your skin is hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure it).

• A new, continuous cough: coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours.

• A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.

• Shortness of breath.

• Feeling tired or exhausted, an aching body and a headache.

• A sore throat, and a blocked or runny nose.

• Loss of appetite, diarrhoea, and feeling sick or being sick.

The NHS says most people feel better within a few weeks, but it can take longer to recover. For some people it can be a more serious illness and their symptoms can last longer.

On being infectious, the NHS says that many people will no longer be infectious to others after 5 days, but you can be infectious for up to 10 days. Children and young people tend to be infectious for less time than adults.

If symptoms last more than 12 weeks, the NHS calls it long COVID or post-COVID syndrome; see the long COVID section below.

The NHS says to try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you or your child have symptoms and either have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work, school, childcare or do your normal activities. You can go back to normal activities when you feel better or do not have a high temperature. If your child has mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat or mild cough and feels well enough, they can go to school or childcare.

Most people do not need to take a rapid lateral flow test if they have symptoms. If you choose to test and it is positive, the NHS says to try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people:

• For 3 days after the day of the test if you or your child are under 18.

• For 5 days after the day of the test if you are 18 or over.

• Avoid meeting people more likely to get seriously ill, such as people with a weakened immune system, for 10 days after the day of the test.

• If you are eligible for COVID-19 treatment, the NHS says to take a rapid lateral flow test as soon as you get symptoms.

The NHS says it is not always possible to treat COVID-19, but there are things you can do to ease symptoms such as a high temperature, a cough and breathlessness.

• Get lots of rest and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration (your pee should be light yellow or clear).

• Take paracetamol or ibuprofen if you feel uncomfortable.

• Try a teaspoon of honey for a cough, but do not give honey to babies under 12 months. A pharmacist can advise about cough treatments.

• For breathlessness: turn the heating down or open a window, sit upright in a chair, relax your shoulders, lean forward slightly with hands on your knees, and breathe slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth.

• Do not lie on your back if you have a cough: lie on your side or sit upright.

• Do not use a fan to cool your room as it may spread the virus, and try not to panic if you feel breathless.

The NHS says to ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you are worried about your or a child's symptoms, the symptoms are getting worse or not getting better, there are other signs of illness such as a rash, loss of appetite or feeling weak, or a high temperature lasts 5 days or more or does not come down with paracetamol. For a baby under 3 months, a temperature of 38C or higher, and for a baby aged 3 to 6 months, 39C or higher, needs the same urgent contact.

It is particularly important to get help if you are at increased risk, such as if you are pregnant, aged 60 or over, or have a weakened immune system.

Call 999 or go to A&E if you or a child:

• seem very unwell, are getting worse or you think there is something seriously wrong (children and babies can get unwell very quickly)

• get sudden chest pain

• are so breathless you cannot say short sentences when resting or your breathing has suddenly got worse (in babies their stomach may suck in under their ribs)

• start coughing up blood

• collapse, faint, or have a seizure or fit for the first time

• have a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis

The NHS offers treatment to people with COVID-19 at the highest risk of becoming seriously ill. You are eligible for a treatment assessment without being admitted to hospital if you are at highest risk, aged 12 or over, have symptoms and have tested positive. The treatments are nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir (Paxlovid) and molnupiravir (Lagevrio), antiviral medicines that come as capsules or tablets. A doctor will advise which is most suitable.

The NHS lists groups who may be at highest risk, including people with Down's syndrome, certain cancers, sickle cell disease, stage 4 or 5 chronic kidney disease, severe liver disease, organ transplants, certain autoimmune or inflammatory conditions, HIV with a weakened immune system, and certain conditions affecting the brain, nervous system or lungs. It says the list is a summary and does not cover everything, so check with your GP or hospital specialist if unsure.

The NHS says it is particularly important to get help if you are pregnant and have symptoms, because pregnancy increases the risk of becoming ill from COVID-19. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you are worried or your symptoms are getting worse.

For children, the NHS says children and young people tend to be infectious for less time than adults, and a child with mild symptoms who feels well can go to school or childcare. Children and babies can get unwell very quickly, so use the urgent advice above, including the lower temperature thresholds for babies under 6 months.

Yes. The NHS says COVID-19 spreads very easily through close contact with people who have the virus. When someone with COVID-19 breathes, speaks, coughs or sneezes, they release small droplets containing the virus, which you can catch by breathing them in or by touching surfaces covered in them and then your eyes, nose or mouth. You are more likely to catch it indoors and in crowded places.

You can still catch or spread COVID-19 if you do not have symptoms, are fully vaccinated or have had the virus before. To reduce spread, the NHS suggests covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, cleaning surfaces you touch often, staying away from other people including those you live with until you feel better, and wearing a face covering if you need to be near others.

The NHS says long COVID, sometimes called post-COVID syndrome, happens when the symptoms of COVID-19 last longer than 12 weeks. It is a new condition that is still being studied, but treatment can help. The most common symptoms are extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, joint pain and aching muscles, and problems with memory and concentration (brain fog). Many other symptoms can occur, including chest pain, palpitations, headaches, dizziness, sleep problems, changes to taste and smell, tummy pain, anxiety and depression.

See a GP if you think you might have long COVID. They may check blood pressure and heart rate, do blood tests and tests of oxygen levels, and refer you to a post-COVID syndrome service. The NHS says there is currently no cure, but a team can help ease symptoms with advice on managing fatigue, physiotherapy, CBT, cognitive rehabilitation and social prescribing. It advises not starting exercise again before talking to a GP or specialist, and says how long it takes to recover is different for everybody.

On the NHS, local organisations arrange COVID-19 treatment, so the route depends on where you live; your local integrated care board or GP surgery can explain it. Long COVID support is provided through your GP and post-COVID services.

Private providers offer tests and consultations, but they do not change NHS eligibility for antiviral treatment. If you are at highest risk, contact your GP surgery, NHS 111 or hospital specialist promptly when you test positive rather than waiting for a private appointment.