COVID-19 most often causes respiratory symptoms that can feel much like a cold, the flu, or pneumonia. COVID-19 may attack more than your lungs and respiratory system. Other parts of your body may also be affected by the disease. Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some people become severely ill.
Transmission
COVID-19 spreads when an infected person breathes out droplets and very small particles that contain the virus. Other people can breathe in these droplets and particles, or these droplets and particles can land on others' eyes, nose, or mouth. In some circumstances, these droplets may contaminate the surfaces they touch.
Anyone infected with COVID-19 can spread it, even if they do NOT have symptoms. COVID-19 can even spread from people to animals in some situations.
Symptoms
Symptoms may change with new COVID-19 variants and can vary depending on vaccination status. Possible symptoms include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- New loss of taste or smell
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Prevention
CDC recommends that all people use core prevention strategies to protect themselves and others from COVID-19:
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.
- Although vaccinated people sometimes get infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines significantly lowers the risk of getting very sick, being hospitalized, or dying from COVID-19.
- Practice good hygiene (practices that improve cleanliness)
- Take steps for cleaner air
When you are sick:
- Use precautions to prevent spread, including staying home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick) if you have respiratory symptoms.
- Seek health care promptly for testing and/or treatment if you have risk factors for severe illness. Treatment may help lower your risk of severe illness, but it needs to be started within a few days of when your symptoms begin.
Using these prevention strategies can be especially helpful when:
- Respiratory viruses, such as COVID-19, flu, and RSV, are causing a lot of illness in your community
- You or those around you have risk factors for severe illness
- You or those around you were recently exposed to a respiratory virus, are sick, or are recovering
Treatment
FDA has authorized or approved several antiviral medications used to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in people who are more likely to get very sick.
Antiviral medications target specific parts of the virus to stop it from multiplying in the body once someone is infected, helping to prevent severe illness and death.
Additional Information
Some people, including those with minor or no symptoms, will develop Post-COVID Conditions – also called "Long COVID."
- Long COVID is a serious illness that can result in chronic conditions, require comprehensive care, and can sometimes cause disability.
- Long COVID can include a wide range of ongoing symptoms and conditions that can last months to years after COVID-19 illness.
- Anyone who had a SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virus that causes COVID-19, can experience Long COVID, including children.
- Following core strategies to lower your risk of severe COVID-19 illness is the best way to prevent Long COVID.
- Living with Long COVID can be difficult and isolating, especially when there are no approved tests that can determine if your symptoms or conditions are due to Long COVID and there are no approved treatments.
Click here for more information on Long Covid.
