COVID-19 symptoms: Overview
Coronavirus is a serious respiratory disease that first emerged in late 2019. Initially, people infected with the virus reported flu-like symptoms, but a full year into one of the worst pandemics in modern times and we’re starting to understand more and more about its effects on humans.
COVID-19 affects people in different ways, which is what makes it so unpredictable. Thankfully, most people who catch it will only develop a mild to moderate flu and recover without the need for medical intervention. However, in some cases, people will develop more severe symptoms which may lead to hospitalization or in rare instances death.
COVID-19 symptoms: What are they and what’s their severity?
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are:
- Fever — you feel hot to the touch on your chest and back.
- A persistent continuous dry cough — often you’re coughing a lot for more than an hour
- A change to your sense of smell or taste — you’ve noticed you can’t taste or smell anything
Less common symptoms include:
- Aches and pains
- Fatigue
- Sore throat
- Headaches
- Diarrhoea
- Conjunctivitis
Serious symptoms include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pain
- Loss of speech
Typically, it takes 5-6 days for symptoms to appear after being infected however the incubation period can be as long as 14 days.
COVID-19: Who gets sick?
Those most likely to fall seriously ill appear to be the over-80s, especially those who have underlying health issues, like heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. That said, anyone with comorbidity is at risk of developing health complications due to COVID-19, not just the elderly. Experts think around 1% of people who catch COVID-19 will die from it but because so many cases go unreported it might be far lower figure.
For the most part, children appear to be relatively unaffected by COVID-19 but some have developed a rare inflammatory condition, and those that have sadly died have almost always had underlying health conditions.
To complicate matters, we know that many people who have COVID-19 are asymptomatic, meaning they show no symptoms. Despite this, they may still spread the virus. This makes containing the virus particularly difficult and is one of the main reasons governments instigated lockdowns.
If you have any of the serious symptoms seek immediate medical attention.
COVID-19 symptoms: What’s long COVID?
For some people, COVID-19 can cause symptoms long after the infection has passed. While everyone is affected differently, people with long COVID report feelings of fatigue, anxiety, and cold-like symptoms.
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