Coronavirus symptoms (covid-19)

Despite symptoms, it’s not the flu

COVID-19 is not the flu.

As one of a class of pathogens known as coronaviruses, it’s actually more closely related to the common cold than the seasonal flu.

However, despite some overlap, the typical symptoms of COVID-19 are more similar to the flu (fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue) than the common cold (runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, cough, congestion, slight body aches, mild headache, sneezing, low-grade fever, malaise).

“In terms of differentiating between flu and COVID-19, it can be almost impossible to distinguish,” Dr. Jake Deutsch, co-founder and clinical director of Cure Urgent Care centers and Specialty Infusion in New York. “That’s why people are recommended to have flu vaccinations so it can at least… minimize the risk of flu in light of everything else. Fevers, body aches, coughing, sneezing could all be equally attributed to them both, so it really means that if there’s a concern for flu, there’s a concern for COVID-19.”

If you have a mild case of COVID-19, the flu, or a cold, treatment is geared toward management of symptoms, said Cutler.

“Generally, acetaminophen is recommended for fevers,” he said. “Cough drops and cough syrups can also help keep mucus secretions thinner. If there is associated nasal congestion, antihistamines may be useful.”

Share on PinterestDesign by Ruth Basagoitia

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

You can check your symptoms using the healthdirect Coronavirus (COVID-19) Symptom Checker.

Common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever (any temperature over 38C) and a cough.

Some people also report a sore throat, shortness of breath, fatigue, aches and pains, headaches, and a runny or stuffy nose.

Symptoms can range from a mild illness to pneumonia.

Some people have relatively few symptoms if any, or display no symptoms when they first contract the virus.

Suddenly losing your sense of smell can be a symptom of COVID-19, or a sign that you’ve got a severe cold or very bad allergies.

And that’s one of the confusing things about this coronavirus, its symptoms can be similar to what you would expect from other conditions.

COVID-19 symptoms can be similar to cold or flu.(Department of Health)

When to seek medical attention

People who are experiencing mild COVID-19 will typically be able to recover at home without hospital treatment.

However, around 1 in 5 people with a coronavirus infection will become seriously unwell and develop breathing difficulties.

Anyone noticing the following symptoms should seek medical attention immediately:

• trouble breathing
• constant pain, or pressure, in the chest
• confusion
• inability to wake up
• blue tinted lips or face

A person with any of these symptoms, or other symptoms that are severe or causing concern, should call 911 immediately.

People should also tell the service operator that they think they have contracted coronavirus. If possible, they should put on a cloth face mask or covering before help arrives.

How is COVID-19 different to the flu?

As the above infographic shows, while COVID-19 and influenza can both cause respiratory symptoms, there are key differences.

According to the Government’s healthdirect website, influenza often includes muscle pains and headache, while these symptoms are less common in COVID-19.

Another difference between the two diseases is the kind of person affected. So far, severe COVID-19 has mainly affected older age groups and people with chronic illnesses.

To date, healthy people and children — who can become very sick from flu — haven’t been significantly affected by COVID-19.

The peak body for obstetricians and gynaecologists has advised that pregnant women don’t seem to be at increased risk of the new coronavirus so far — but it’s hard to tell this early in the outbreak.

Health authorities have also warned younger adults shouldn’t be complacent about their risk from coronavirus, since it’s not impossible for them to have a severe form of the disease.

Types

Coronaviruses belong to the subfamily Coronavirinae in the family Coronaviridae.

Different types of coronavirus cause diseases of different severities. Also, some spread more easily than others.

Doctors currently recognize seven types of coronavirus that can infect humans. Four common types are:

• 229E (alpha coronavirus)
• NL63 (alpha coronavirus)
• OC43 (beta coronavirus)
• HKU1 (beta coronavirus)

Rarer strains that cause more severe illnesses include MERS-CoV, which causes the disease MERS, and SARS-CoV, the virus responsible for SARS.

In 2019, a new strain, called SARS-CoV-2, started circulating and causing the disease COVID-19.

Is It COVID-19, the Flu, a Cold, or Allergies?

Since they share so many symptoms, it can be hard to know which condition you have. But there are a few guidelines that can help.

You may have COVID-19 if you have a fever and trouble breathing, along with the symptoms listed above.

If you don’t have problems breathing, it might be the flu. You should still isolate yourself just in case.

It’s probably allergies if you don’t have a fever but your eyes are itchy, you’re sneezing, and you have a runny nose.

If you don’t have a fever and your eyes aren’t itchy, it’s probably a cold.

Call your doctor if you’re concerned about any symptoms. COVID-19 can range from mild to severe, so it may be hard to diagnose. Testing could be available in your area.

COVID-19

In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started monitoring the outbreak of a new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. They first identified the virus in Wuhan, China.

Since then, the virus has spread to nearly every country, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a pandemic.

The new coronavirus has been responsible for tens of millions of infections globally, causing over a million deaths. The United States has seen the highest number of these infections and deaths.

The first people with COVID-19 had links to a live animal and seafood market. This suggests that animals initially transmitted the virus to humans. Then, people with no connections to the market developed the disease, confirming that the virus can pass from person to person.

Most people who develop COVID-19 have a relatively mild form of the disease. According to the WHO, around 80% of people who get COVID-19 recover without needing to be admitted to a hospital.

The remaining 20% become seriously ill and develop difficulty breathing.

Some groups have a higher risk of severe disease and death, including older adults and people with underlying medical conditions, including high blood pressure, heart and lung problems, diabetes, and cancer.

The mortality rate varies from country to country. In the U.S., the death rate is around 2.8%.

According to the CDC, most children with COVID-19 have mild symptoms or none at all. Fewer children have developed COVID-19 than adults. That said, infants and children with certain medical conditions may have an increased risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19.

Also, the available evidence suggests that pregnant people may have a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. They may also have an increased risk of problems such as preterm birth, though it is unclear whether this is related to the virus itself.

Symptoms of COVID-19

According to the CDC, people may start to experience COVID-19 symptoms 2–14 days after exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Symptoms may include:

• a fever
• chills
• a cough
• shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• a sore throat
• congestion or a runny nose
• fatigue
• a headache
• muscle pain
• a new loss of taste or smell
• nausea, vomiting, or both
• diarrhea

No vaccine is currently available for COVID-19, although several are in development. Tests can detect the infection early on, even if a person is not experiencing symptoms.

According to the , the following groups have a higher risk of developing serious illness from COVID-19:

• older adults
• people of any age with underlying health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, and obesity
• pregnant people

Systemic inequalities in healthcare have placed many people of marginalized racial and ethnic groups at a higher risk of sickness and death from COVID-19. Read more here.

Critical cases

Figures from China in February indicated that 5% of more than 72,000 people with COVID-19 had received a classification of being in a “critical condition.”

However, it is difficult to assess the accuracy of these figures since many people with COVID-19 may not seek care, and some have no symptoms at all.

It is also important to note that these numbers continue to change as the coronavirus outbreak spreads.

In addition to the severe symptoms described above, people who develop severe life threatening COVID-19 symptoms are likely to experience:

• weak pulse
• cold hands or feet
• requiring medical treatment to maintain organ function and life

Critical cases of COVID-19 may also lead to:

• Sepsis: Sepsis is a type of systemic infection that occurs when the body’s immune response overreacts to pathogens, causing potentially life threatening damage.
• Respiratory failure: This condition occurs when damage to the lungs is so severe that they cannot function without assistance.
• Organ failure: This life threatening situation occurs when one or more organs stop working properly.

In China, 49% of critical cases have led to death, as a February article in JAMA reported.

Certain medical conditions increase the risk of death or developing critical symptoms of COVID-19. These include:

• heart disease
• diabetes
• chronic respiratory disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• cancer

According to a viewpoint article in JAMA, figures recorded at the end of February in China indicated that symptoms tend to be more severe in older populations. The Chinese fatality rate in people over 70 years of age was 8%, while the death for those over 80 years of age was 14.8%.

Extended exposure to the virus may also increase the severity of symptoms. In China, several otherwise healthy healthcare workers died. Overall, 14.8% of healthcare workers who contracted SARS-CoV-2 received a classification of severe or critical.

What are the early symptoms?

Share on PinterestA dry cough is a common early symptom of coronavirus infection.

Once a person has contracted coronavirus, it can take 2–14 days for symptoms to appear. The average incubation period appears to be roughly 5–6 days.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), symptoms of coronavirus can be mild and come on gradually. According to The Lancet, when hospital admission is necessary, this typically occurs from 7 days onwards.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that a person with COVID-19 can experience a wide range of symptoms, often including a dry cough and shortness of breath.

They may also have a combination of at least two of the following symptoms:

• fever
• chills
• repeated shaking with chills
• muscle pain
• headache
• sore throat
• new loss of taste or smell

According to 2020 research, the prevalence of some of these symptoms appears to be:

Symptom	Prevalence (%)
Dry cough	60.4
Shortness of breath or breathing difficulties	41.1
Fever	55.5
Muscle pain	44.6
Headache	42.6
Sore throat	31.2
Smell and taste disturbance	64.4
Fatigue	68.3

Fever

Doctors consider a temperature of 100.4°F or higher to be a fever.

A person with a fever will feel hot to touch on their back or chest.

Dry cough

A dry cough does not produce mucus.

According to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), if a person notices they are coughing a lot for over an hour, or they have three or more coughing episodes in a day, they may have coronavirus.

Fatigue

Fatigue is a feeling of tiredness and an overall lack of energy. A person with fatigue may feel drained, weak, or sluggish.

Summary

SARS-CoV-2 is a new virus, and doctors still do not fully understand how it spreads, how well it survives on surfaces, and how it affects people.

Cases of COVID-19 range from asymptomatic to critical, and, in some instances, they can lead to organ failure and death.

Without more data, the safest strategy is to assume that COVID-19 is potentially deadly and spreads easily and that people without symptoms can transmit it.

To slow the spread and reduce the death rate, people should minimize social contact, stay at home as much as possible, and wash their hands frequently.

For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.

How to care for someone with early symptoms

If a person is caring for someone with early symptoms of coronavirus infection, they should ensure they follow guidelines to protect themselves and the care receiver.

These can include:

• helping the care receiver follow any instructions from a doctor
• keeping them hydrated
• helping with groceries, prescriptions, and other requirements
• caring for any pets
• providing the care receiver with OTC medications when appropriate
• monitoring their symptoms and looking for signs that they may need more medical help
• washing cloth face masks after use
• monitoring their own health for coronavirus symptoms
• wearing disposable gloves when washing the care receiver’s dirty laundry
• cleaning and disinfecting surfaces daily
• using a separate bedroom and bathroom from the care receiver
• ensuring good air ventilation to reduce chances of getting the virus

The person giving care should make sure they limit contact, as much as possible, with the individual they are caring for.

The carer should wear a face mask when near the sick person, and gloves if they come into contact with their blood, stool, or bodily fluids.

If the care receiver is trouble breathing easily, they should also always wear a face mask when the carer is nearby.

Frequently washing hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with soap and water is critical for the carer.

Do I need to get tested for COVID-19?

Due to a shortage of COVID-19 testing kits, Australia has been doing targeted rather than widespread testing.

Testing criteria can vary between different states, based on the cases there, so check your local health department’s website for the most up-to-date information as criteria is also being regularly reviewed.

According to the , your doctor will tell you if you need to be tested for COVID-19 and they will arrange the test for you.

The general criteria is that you have developed fever or respiratory symptoms and

• have also returned from overseas in the last 14 days
• been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 14 days
• travelled on a cruise ship in the 14 days before developing symptoms
• are a healthcare, aged care or residential care worker

• live in an area where there is a higher risk of community transmission (see your state health department website for details)

Western Australia and Victoria have broadened their testing criteria to include people who have a fever and respiratory symptoms, but have not been overseas or in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19.

People are also being tested if they are in hospital, have fever and serious respiratory symptoms and there is no other clear cause of their symptoms.

Those in high-risk settings — including aged and residential care, detention centres, correctional facilities, boarding schools, military bases with live-in accommodation and rural and remote Indigenous communities — will be tested if there are two or more people with fever and respiratory symptoms where they are.

Cases can be life threatening

Allergies have chronic symptoms

COVID-19, like the flu or common cold, is an acute illness, meaning people feel fine until symptoms start showing up.

Allergies, on the other hand, “are usually chronic, presenting with symptoms off and on for weeks, months, or even years,” Dr. David M. Cutler, family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, told Healthline.

Experts also noted that, in most parts of the country, it’s not allergy season yet.

“Allergies should not cause a fever or body aches,” Arthur said. “Generally, no cough unless you have a lot of nasal drainage.”

Allergies also may cause wheezing, she added, especially in people with asthma.

“Allergy symptoms tend to vary with the environment: worsening with exposure to dust, pollen, or animal dander, whereas cold symptoms tend to persist regardless of time of day, weather, locality, or other environmental factors,” Cutler said.

Also, as with COVID-19, “Colds are more likely to have generalized symptoms like fever, headache, and body aches, whereas allergies usually affect only the respiratory tract,” Cutler said. “Allergy symptoms tend to improve with antihistamine and other allergy-specific medication. Colds are more likely to respond to decongestants, acetaminophen, fluids, and rest.”

With some schools reopening, the CDC issued new guidelines in mid-August on the differences in symptoms between COVID-19 and seasonal allergies.

The agency noted that things such as shortness of breath, coughing, fatigue, headache, and sore throat can be symptoms of either COVID-19 or allergies.

Itchy eyes and sneezing are generally only symptoms of allergies.

Fever, muscle aches, a loss of taste or smell, nausea, and diarrhea are associated with COVID-19 and not allergies.

The CDC recommends that all people wear cloth face masks in public places where it’s difficult to maintain a 6-foot distance from others. This will help slow the spread of the virus from people without symptoms or people who do not know they have contracted the virus. Cloth face masks should be worn while continuing to practice physical distancing. Instructions for making masks at home can be found here. Note: It’s critical to reserve surgical masks and N95 respirators for healthcare workers.

What to do about early symptoms

If a person notices that they or a child has symptoms of COVID-19, however mild, they should:

• self-isolate at home, keeping separate from others in the property
• stay indoors, unless seeking medical aid
• get plenty of rest
• stay hydrated with plenty of liquids
• take over-the-counter (OTC) cold and flu medicine to soothe symptoms
• monitor symptoms and phone the doctor if necessary
• wear a face mask when around other individuals
• follow local health department guidelines
• cover their mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, then wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• wash hands regularly and thoroughly
• avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• keep separate glasses, cups, dishes, eating utensils, towels, and bedding if sharing a house with others
• clean and disinfect surfaces, such as doorknobs, counters, remote controls, phones, keyboards, bathroom surfaces, or tables frequently

People who have symptoms of coronavirus infection should continue to self-isolate and follow these guidelines for 14 days, even if they begin to feel healthy.

Symptoms in children

The risk of severe disease «increases steadily» with age, but younger people can also become severely ill, according to Harvard Medical School.

Most children with COVID-19 have either mild symptoms or no symptoms, but some can become seriously ill, . Babies under the age of 1 year old and children with certain underlying conditions such as asthma or chronic lung diseases, diabetes, heart disease and obesity may be at an increased risk of severe illness, according to the CDC. In children, the most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever and cough but they may also develop chills, nasal congestion or runny nose, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, stomach, tiredness, headache, muscle or body aches, poor appetite or poor feeding, especially in infants, according to the CDC.

Parents should «pay particular attention» to markers that can indicate COVID-19 in the child such as a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or higher, sore throat, a new uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing, diarrhea, vomiting or stomach ache and a new onset of severe headache especially if it’s along with a fever, according to the CDC. If the child is showing any emergency signs (same as the ones listed for adults), the CDC recommends seeking emergency medical care immediately.

Mild-to-moderate symptoms

Share on PinterestPeople with COVID-19 may experience a fever.

The difference between mild and moderate symptoms is a matter of degree, and the treatment is more or less the same.

The most common symptoms of mild-to-moderate cases are:

• A fever: The majority of people with COVID-19 experience a fever. A study in The Lancet in January 2020 noted that 98% of people with a COVID-19 diagnosis had a fever. In mild-to-moderate cases, people will typically experience a fever up to 103℉ (39.4℃).
• Fatigue: Some people might have less energy or need more sleep.
• A cough: The cough tends to be dry, but it may not always be.

Other less common symptoms include:

• sore throat
• headache
• nasal congestion
• malaise
• muscle aches
• gastrointestinal issues, such as diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting
• lack of appetite

Most research on COVID-19 has focused on people who have sought treatment for the disease. The existing data, therefore, have a bias toward people with more severe symptoms.

While viruses such as the flu often hit babies and young children very hard, most research around COVID-19 suggests that young people are likely to experience mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.

While early reports on COVID-19 focused primarily on respiratory symptoms, new research featuring in the American Journal of Gastroenterology indicates that 50.5% of people with COVID-19 experience gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea.

According to ENT UK, some people also report changes in their sense of smell or taste, often before other symptoms appear. Doctors do not understand what causes this, but other viruses can also attack the sense of smell, sometimes permanently.

Treatment

People with mild-to-moderate symptoms of COVID-19 should do the following:

• Stay home and away from others as much as possible.
• Wear a cloth mask.
• Monitor symptoms.
• Contact a doctor or healthcare provider by phone or the internet to determine whether symptoms require medical attention.
• Self-treat by following a healthcare professional’s recommendations.
• Seek emergency medical treatment if symptoms develop to become severe.

‘Chronic COVID’

«Research studies are only just starting to emerge on documentation of different manifestations of ‘Chronic COVID’ or ‘Long-COVID’,» said Danny Altmann, a professor of immunology at Imperial College London.

«The terribly diverse manifestations may have quite diverse mechanisms,» Altmann added, meaning it could be that even people with mild symptoms have lasting tissue damage or an immune reaction that is ongoing almost as a syndrome.

«What we do know is that there are a certain number of people who contract the virus sometimes with severe forms, sometimes with less severe forms and who have symptoms for weeks,» France’s health minister Olivier Véran said in a television interview.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News on Wednesday that he was «concerned there’s increasing evidence a minority of people — but a significant minority — have long-term impacts and it can be quite debilitating.»

He added that the government has invested almost £10m (11.03 million euros) into research regarding long-term effects.

Véran said that there was research ongoing looking at whether a lasting «inflammatory phase» of the virus could explain these symptoms, but explained that they were looking at ways to help these patients.

But at the moment, they don’t have many answers.

Claudia UcedaCourtesy of Claudia Uceda

Claudia Uceda, a 24-year-old translator based in Paris, has been to Accident and Emergency (A&E) with several asthma attacks since recovering from coronavirus.

She started having trouble breathing in March but was not admitted to hospital even when her entire family came down with the virus.

A doctor did not check her lungs until after France’s lockdown in May, finding lesions consistent with pneumonia and reduced lung capacity.

«It was hard to prove that I was really sick. So not only did I feel bad, but I was sort of isolated,» she told Euronews. In France, many of the people who say they still have symptoms of coronavirus first came down with the disease at the height of the epidemic and were therefore unable to get a test.

Nathalie Nury says she first came down with fever, chest pain, shortness of breath, and extreme fatigue on March 24.

The 51-year-old visual arts teacher in Nîmes and says her son and his girlfriend had recently come back from Paris and they had lost their sense of smell and taste.

Her symptoms lasted ten days but she wasn’t tested because tests were reserved for hospitalised coronavirus patients and health workers.

Throughout April, she said she still felt tired but it wasn’t until the start of May that she came down with a fever and chest pain again.

For months, she has suffered cycles of renewed symptoms from intense chest pain to vertigo.

«I was totally lost. My loved ones did not understand,» Nury said. She’s seen multiple doctors, some of whom did not take her symptoms seriously.

Nathalie NuryNathalie Nury

She has now taken to social media. In France, a hashtag translating to «after day 20» or «after day 100» is helping those who say they still suffer to find support for a condition she finds difficult and isolating. The support network «showed me that I wasn’t an isolated case and that other people had similar symptoms.»

«I think this is one of the very hard aspects: many of the people who feel long-term unwell have never had a PCR test and never been hospitalised. So some doctors may feel they’re just anxious,» said Altmann at Imperial College London.

«Even if people had clear symptoms, some doctors may comment ‘for any serious infection you may take a while to recover’.»

«However, there are many infections that leave behind specific disease profiles that can be chronic. For a proportion of COVID-19 patients, that seems likely,» he added, explaining that several studies are underway to look at these patient profiles.