Name: 9 Symptoms of COVID-19: Recognizing the Signs | Healthwords
Creator: Dr Roger Henderson
Published: 2022-04-06T12:07:09.597Z

If you have any of these COVID-19 symptoms, and either a high temperature or you just don’t feel well enough to go to work or school, keep yourself to yourself at home. Once you're feeling better and no longer have a fever, diarrhoea or vomiting, it might be safe to head out. 

The government previously said that isolation should last for at least 5 days.

If I can’t test, when should I isolate?

COVID-19 is a serious illness. Learn more about the 9 most common symptoms of the virus and how to recognise them. Get the facts & learn more with Healthwords.

9 Symptoms of COVID-19: Recognizing the Signs | Healthwords

The 9 additional symptoms are feeling short of breath, feeling tired or exhausted, having body aches, a headache, or a sore throat, having a blocked or runny nose, a loss of appetite, or diarrhoea, or vomiting or feeling sick.

These are general symptoms that can all indicate the [flu](https://www.healthwords.ai/condition/flu-521) or [glandular fever](https://www.healthwords.ai/condition/glandular-fever-846), or each one can signify other common ailments like a[ cold ](https://www.healthwords.ai/treatment/medicine-for-colds-342)or [tonsilitis](https://www.healthwords.ai/condition/tonsillitis) or food poisoning.

What should I look out for now?

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Panadol Advance (16 Tablets)

The UK government’s current strategy is that we learn to live with COVID, rather than testing and isolating. We previously relied on negative tests to release us from isolation if consistently negative.

Free tests have come to an end for most in the UK, except the most vulnerable and frontline health workers. Lateral flow tests and PCR tests will no longer be available, and it is no longer a legal requirement to isolate if you have COVID-19.

While the disease has become milder for most, it can still cause severe disease in the most vulnerable, such as the elderly or those with weakened immune conditions. You may have family members who fall into this category.

So it’s good to be aware of possible COVID symptoms so you can stay at home, get yourself better, and protect others around you.

Why are the symptoms so important?

Many factors influence the range in recovery from [COVID-19](https://www.healthwords.ai/condition/covid-19-coronavirus), some are predictable if they relate to other health conditions or age, and some are unpredictable and we can’t say why some suffer severe or ongoing symptoms.

Most of us know someone who has no symptoms but tests positive. Others have a prolonged recovery due to complications such as clots or strokes or heart attacks. Those who required intensive care unit support whilst they had COVID-19, and needed intubation or ventilation, will also take a long time to recover. Research shows that most people have made a full recovery 12 weeks after they get initial symptoms.

A cough from any infection – viral or bacterial – can persist for up to 3 weeks and doesn’t warrant further investigations if you’re otherwise well and have no underlying lung conditions. We would expect your cough to be getting better in this time, though. Similarly, a sore throat usually lasts about 7 days from any viral infection, including COVID, and fevers should have resolved within the first few days.

Some people are left in the middle, where a few weeks later, they still have a bit of a cough or chest tightness, or going back to work or studies feels very effortful, and they’re not back to full strength. Many report symptoms waxing in waning, where a week or two after initial symptoms, they think they’re recovered, and then suffer a day where they feel set back by symptoms again.

COVID-19 Vaccine – Checklist before you get your jab

The vaccine slot’s booked, you’re all set to go, but first, just run through our checklist to make sure you’re in the best position health-wise to get your jab. 

COVID Vaccine – Your questions answered

With the COVID-19 vaccine having been put into place across the world now, the doctors here at Healthwords have listened to many of the public’s pressing questions in their frontline work so let’s address your concerns and give you the information you need to decide on taking up the offer of the vaccine if you still haven’t had it, either for yourself or a loved one.

COVID-19 is a virus that can affect all systems, and while most think first of it threatening our breathing, it can put a considerable burden on our skin too. As doctors, we’ve certainly seen increased numbers of skin rashes and associated skin problems, and there’s anecdotal evidence that it can impair wound healing. For 1 in 5 people with COVID-19, a skin sign may be the only symptom they get. 

COVID-19 skin signs fall into two categories – common conditions that have increased in number (such as urticarial), and rare conditions that have also increased, such as those affecting the toes or mouth. 

The COVID ZOE symptom app has looked at data from millions of people with COVID-19 symptoms. The doctors behind it, from Kings College London, have argued that skin signs are now so common with COVID-19 that it should be listed as a key sign of COVID-19 infection, alongside fever, cough and loss of sense of smell. 

It isn’t clear if the virus causes these changes directly or via the immune response it provokes, but nearly half appear at the time of infection, with about a third appearing following infection. It’s also worth noting that it’s common to get a rash after any mild viral illness, such as a cold. 

The year 2020 will be ingrained in the minds of many of us as the year that coronavirus (COVID-19) emerged and which continues to impact on our lives. As the world’s scientists and medics continue to learn more about this new virus and offer guidance to the public, it can be tough to cut through the fear-factor and disinformation and find the facts. The Healthwords team is here to help, and suggest ways to help keep you and your loved ones well. 

COVID Infection - Managing symptoms in children

Symptoms of COVD-19 were around 3 classical ones: continuous cough, fever and loss of sense of smell or taste. However, the symptoms in children quickly adapted to include sore throat, diarrhoea, headache, tiredness, muscle joint aches, conjunctivitis, nausea or vomiting and runny nose.  

It’s much rarer for serious illness from COVID to afflict those under 18, but not impossible. If they experience shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing, this is reason to seek urgent medical attention, as you would in other illnesses.  

Post-COVID syndrome, or long COVID as most people know it, can occur in children, where certain symptoms such as cough, difficulty breathing or exercising, concentration difficulty or immense fatigue, can persist for three months or more after the initial infection. 

Anosmia is a condition that describes failure of our sense of smell. Although there are many other conditions that can cause anosmia, it has become well-known since the pandemic started, as it was classified as one of three typical symptoms of [COVID-19](https://www.healthwords.ai/condition/covid-19-coronavirus) before people were [vaccinated](https://www.healthwords.ai/article/covid-19-vaccine-what-to-expect).

Loss of sense of smell occurs during the acute COVID illness but can last long after you have since recovered. Your ability to smell is closely linked to your taste buds so it can make your food taste bland or alter your smell so that things either don’t smell of anything or smell very different. You may detect a charred or burning smell, and can have a knock-on effect on your appetite.

You may only be able to smell or taste a little – partial anosmia – or you may find certain smells or tastes unpleasant. You may experience a bad smell all the time, like smelling smoke or petrol, even if it’s not present.

Most of us have felt the effects of a common cold – adults catch one once or twice every year, and children up to six times a year. The symptoms of a cold are caused by a viral infection, with rhinovirus being the most likely culprit. Colds typically circulate in autumn and winter, especially among children at school or nursery.

There is no cure as such, your immune system will fight the virus and overcome it within 1 to 2 weeks. Antibiotics have no benefit for the common cold as they are only effective against bacterial infections. Treatments aim to relieve symptoms, but they won’t speed up getting rid of a cold.

Colds usually appear in autumn and winter, although common viruses have been thrown out of sync by the [COVID-19](https://www.healthwords.ai/condition/covid-19-coronavirus) pandemic, where we weren’t mixing as usual, with lockdowns, limited social or work interaction and with mandatory mask-wearing.

It’s thought that our immune system needs to keep meeting these common viruses to keep us protected, and during the pandemic, this immunity was lost to an extent. So as doctors, we’ve been seeing [coughs](https://www.healthwords.ai/treatment/coughs-how-to-soothe-symptoms-and-when-to-worry-512) and colds during the summer in the last couple of years, when this would have previously been very rare.

Dr Kandi - Common cold

A lateral flow test looks for certain markers (proteins and hormones) on a sample of fluid, to give a positive or negative result. There are many different types of lateral flow tests - you may be familiar with a home pregnancy test or the quick COVID-19 test, both of which are rapid lateral flow tests. 

The COVID-19 lateral flow test used to be available for free and we were encouraged to take regular tests to attend work or school, or take a test before meeting anyone vulnerable, or going to events or crowded places. This was designed to catch those without symptoms and prevent spread. 

Long COVID describes the ongoing symptoms people feel after infection with [COVID-19](https://www.healthwords.ai/condition/covid-19-coronavirus) and refers to ongoing symptoms of COVID-19 four to 12 weeks after the initial infection started. Post COVID-19 syndrome refers to signs and symptoms that develop during or after COVID-19, continue for more than 12 weeks, and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis.

Recovery from COVID-19 infection differs from person to person. For many, the common symptoms of COVID-19 will resolve within a few weeks. We don’t yet know why, but some people are left with symptoms a long time after initial symptoms of the infection have improved.

Severe illness with COVID-19 doesn’t necessarily make people more likely to get longstanding symptoms. We haven’t yet found any links between the severity of COVID-19 symptoms and the chance of getting longstanding symptoms, and there remains a lot that we still don’t know.

Flu is common, and just over 1 in every 10 people suffer from it each year, typically in autumn and winter. Influenza is the name of the virus that causes flu and its symptoms. There are three main types of influenza virus, called A, B and C, although it is usually the type A virus that causes the worst epidemics. Type C influenza is mild to the extent that it is often indistinguishable from a common cold. Type A influenza is usually more debilitating than type B.

Symptoms begin after an incubation period of one to four days and include a high temperature up to 39C (103F), headache, loss of appetite, muscular aches and pains, weakness and marked exhaustion or fatigue.

Symptoms often continue for about a week unless there are complications, in which case new symptoms may commence in the second week. Symptoms tend to come on quite fast, as opposed to the gradual onset the common cold brings – different viruses are responsible for colds.

For most people, the flu will lead to some days spent in bed feeling rotten. For the elderly, young children, or people with other serious medical problems it can be serious, and a number of people die from the flu each year.

The flu virus typically hits in winter, where the flu vaccine is offered in the autumn run-up to flu season every autumn. The virus can change in nature from year to year, but flu jabs keep up with this ever-changing virus, and that’s why we need a booster every year.

The symptoms of the flu are similar to the symptoms of [COVID-19](https://www.healthwords.ai/condition/covid-19-coronavirus) so it is important if you have a continuous cough, fever or a loss of taste or smell, to follow the current government guidelines in your area.

Monkeypox – sometimes known as mpox - is a relatively rare disease that entered common public knowledge in 2022, as an outbreak spread within Europe including the UK. Cases are normally restricted to western and central Africa, usually causing only a mild illness.

Monkeypox is a virus from the same virus family as smallpox, a devastating condition that has been defeated worldwide but it is very different from the [COVID-19](https://www.healthwords.ai/condition/covid-19-coronavirus) or [chickenpox](https://www.healthwords.ai/condition/chickenpox-17) viruses. It is called monkeypox because it was first discovered in monkeys in 1958. It then took 10 years for the first cases to be recorded in humans, and the most likely transmission is still from animals to humans, rather than human-to-human.

There are two strains, one from western Africa and one from central Africa. The cases in Europe are the western African strain, which causes a milder illness. It's important to emphasise that only a small number of cases have reached Europe, and people are not severely unwell, but scientists are investigating why it seems to be spreading more quickly from human to human than previously.

One working theory is that now that COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, people are travelling more, but have lost some natural immunity to fight viruses during the prolonged period of lockdowns and mask-wearing.

Black fungus is a rare but very serious fungal infection that affects the nose, sinuses, lungs, eyes and sometimes the brain. It is found in the soil and is associated with decaying organic matter such as manure, vegetables and fruit. It gets its name from the black lesions it causes on the mouth and nose, and is officially named mucormycosis, or previously zygomycosis.

It's come to prominence recently owing to an association with [COVID-19](https://www.healthwords.ai/condition/covid-19-coronavirus) infection, especially in patients who contracted the virus in India. Small outbreaks of black fungus can also occur in certain groups of people such as thouse who have had an organ transplant.

It's come to prominence recently owing to an association with COVID-19 infection, especially in patients who have contracted the virus in India.

Someone is described as a hypochondriac when they carry anxieties about health, either in general or with specific illnesses.  While we all have health anxieties, which can be useful to avoid injury or certain illnesses, the concerns of a hypochondriac are considered disproportionate to the threat. It can become all-consuming and have a significant impact on your everyday life. 

COVID-19 has morphed and changed, with new variants appearing all the time. This is normal for a virus. The Delta variant was another strain of the novel coronavirus that was concerning.

It was more contagious at the time of discovery than previous variants but has since been found to be less contagious than the following variant, Omicron. Nevertheless, Delta had a severe and devastating impact on people and economies around the world. Here’s our take on it.

You finally got your invite and booked your appointment, and you’ve heard various stories about what to expect after your [vaccine](https://www.healthwords.ai/article/covid-19-vaccine-what-to-expect). Millions have received this now, and the vast majority have experienced only mild symptoms or none at all, with serious reactions very rare. Forewarned is forearmed, so let’s go through the most likely symptoms for the hours and days after your vaccine, and what might help.

Symptoms of [COVID-19 ](https://www.healthwords.ai/condition/covid-19-coronavirus)have changed as the virus has evolved into different strains, and as the population has mostly become vaccinated. Those infected with the current most common strain, Omicron, are more likely to have milder symptoms of a cold or flu.

This is especially true if you are fully vaccinated. You are likely to feel unwell for a few days but will be able to fight it off, especially if you are young, fit and in good health usually.

That said, no one enjoys the flu or even a cold very much, so let’s take you through some simple measures to help you feel better.

Coughs - How to soothe symptoms and when to worry

Coughs are irritating, uncomfortable and, since COVID-19 arrived, make us feel a bit socially unacceptable.  

A cough is the body’s powerful reflex to respond to a threat and irritation in your respiratory tract. When specialised sensors in your airways detect an irritant such as smoke, dust, allergens, irritants or infection, it triggers a cough reflex that causes the muscles in your airways to contract and push a burst of air out through your airways in an attempt to remove the cause of the irritation. In the case of infection, it may also make sputum (mucus) to help capture viruses and bacteria and expel them in the cough, defending and protecting your body from harm. 

There are many ways to describe how your cough feels, and this can help us determine likely causes and target treatments. Catching a virus or bacteria is the most common cause of a cough, and this can bring other symptoms like sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, fever and feeling run down. 

Long-standing medical conditions and medications can cause a cough, so it’s worth consideration and a visit to your doctor if a cough is persistent and not fitting with a common cold or minor chest infection. 

We’ve become attuned to coughs as a sign of COVID-19 infection. This was certainly true at the start of the pandemic, but vaccination has made this a less common symptom than some others, like a sore throat and nasal congestion. 

We’ll take you through how to assess your cough in terms of causes and reasons to visit the doctor. It’s also good to know when to keep away from loved ones and colleagues, as a cough can be contagious if it's caused by an infection. 

COVID-19 - What do all these Greek letters mean?

The initial outbreak of COVID-19 was in Wuhan, China, and many people referred to the disease and any subsequent variants by the city or country of origin. The World Health Organisation (WHO) felt this caused undue discrimination and stigma against certain countries and places, and may deter them from declaring new variants they had found. 

They needed to find a naming framework that avoided causing offence to any cultural, ethnic or social groups, and decided to name each variant after a letter of the Greek alphabet.  

The initial virus was called novel coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2 – not too catchy, so you may not have heard of it. Subsequent variants were named Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta and are to continue in this manner.

PCR tests (polymerase chain reaction tests) have been used since the start of the pandemic to test for the presence of the [COVID-19 (coronavirus)](https://www.healthwords.ai/condition/covid-19-coronavirus) and alert scientists to any new variants. A PCR test needs to be sent off to a laboratory, and results can take one to three days to return. 

Rapid lateral flow tests came in a bit later in the pandemic, and can be done at home, with the result quickly available within minutes and they resemble a pregnancy test. 

Generally speaking, the lateral flow test is useful for those without [symptoms](https://www.healthwords.ai/article/the-9-symptoms-of-covid) and the PCR test is for those with symptoms. Anecdotally, the PCR test may show positive a few days prior to the lateral flow test. 

COVID Vaccine in children aged 5-15: your questions answered

The UK COVID-19 vaccine programme has been extended to include all children aged 5 and over. This has been carefully debated and weighed up, as to any potential risks and benefits, and how this affects both each individual child and the wider community. 

It remains up to parents to consent for any child under 16, and they must weigh up what’s best for their child. Whatever your final decision, let’s give you the facts as we understand them to help you on the way. 

The UK has been later than some countries to offer this to children, which gives us the advantage of their experience, so we now have worldwide data from tens of millions of children, along with lab data and that from the millions of adults vaccinated. 

Dr Roger Henderson

Chief Content Officer

When COVID-19 first emerged, infections followed a consistent pattern with three main symptoms: a continuous[ dry cough](https://www.healthwords.ai/symptom/dry-cough), fever and a [loss in sense of taste or smell](https://www.healthwords.ai/symptom/anosmia-in-covid-infection-279).

The infection has now morphed into different symptoms, as new variants of the virus have emerged, and as most people are fully vaccinated.

The 9 Symptoms of COVID

What should I look out for now?

Why are the symptoms so important?

Pharmacist recommended products

If I can’t test, when should I isolate?

Related topics

COVID Symptoms - How long do they last?

COVID-19 Vaccine – Checklist before you get your jab

COVID Vaccine – Your questions answered

COVID Skin

COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

COVID Infection - Managing symptoms in children

Anosmia in COVID infection

Common Cold

Lateral Flow Test

Long COVID

Flu

Monkeypox

Black fungus

Hypochondriac

Delta

COVID-19 Vaccine After Effects

Managing COVID symptoms

Coughs - How to soothe symptoms and when to worry

COVID-19 - What do all these Greek letters mean?

COVID Tests - PCR vs lateral flow

COVID Vaccine in children aged 5-15: your questions answered