Is this your symptom?
- Positive test for COVID-19 (home kit or lab) OR
- You have symptoms of COVID-19 AND:
- known exposure (close contact) to COVID-19 in the past 2 weeks OR
- COVID-19 cases are widespread in your community OR
- suspected diagnosis was made by your doctor
COVID-19 Disease: Frequently Asked Questions
- Trusted Source for Accurate Information: CDC
- To meet the high demand for COVID-19 information, when possible, find your answers online. Here is the most reliable website:
- CDC website: www.cdc.gov
- Always follow the most current CDC recommendations if they are different than those in this care guide.
- To meet the high demand for COVID-19 information, when possible, find your answers online. Here is the most reliable website:
- COVID-19 Symptoms:
- The most common symptoms are cough, sore throat, headache and fever. Some patients progress to shortness of breath (trouble breathing).
- Other common symptoms are chills, shivering (shaking), runny nose, muscle pain, fatigue (tiredness) and loss of smell or taste.
- The CDC also includes the following less-common symptoms: nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
- Some people may have very mild symptoms. Some can have no symptoms, but still spread the disease.
- COVID-19 Facts:
- Incubation period: average 3 to 5 days (range 2 to 14 days) after coming in contact with the secretions of a person who has COVID-19. Incubation periods can vary depending on the variant.
- No Symptoms, but Infected: some infected patients have no symptoms.
- Mild Infections: most people with symptoms have a mild illness, much like normal flu or a bad cold. The symptoms usually last 2 weeks.
- Severe Infections: in general, severe infection refers to patients who develop trouble breathing from viral pneumonia. Unvaccinated adults have the highest rate of this complication. Many of these need to be admitted to the hospital. People with complications generally recover in 3 to 6 weeks. Severe infections are very rare in people who are up to date with vaccines and boosters.
- Deaths: older adults, especially those with chronic lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, obesity or weak immune systems, have the highest death rates.
- Vaccine: safe and effective vaccines are available. At this time, COVID-19 vaccines have been tested and are FDA approved for ages 6 months and older. Stay up to date by getting all recommended shots when eligible. Check the CDC website to see if you are current on your vaccines.
- Breakthrough cases are COVID-19 infections that happen despite vaccine protection. They are more common with new variants. Many of these infections do not cause any symptoms. The vaccine prevents almost all hospital admissions and deaths.
- Treatment: anti-viral treatments for COVID-19 are available. They are mainly used for high risk patients and those who are hospitalized.
- Prevention: the COVID-19 vaccine and booster are the best way to prevent serious infections.
- COVID-19 - How it is Spread:
- COVID-19 is spread from person to person.
- The virus spreads when respiratory droplets are produced when a person coughs, sneezes, shouts or sings. The infected droplets can then be inhaled by a nearby person or land on the surface of their eyes.
- Most infected people also have respiratory secretions on their hands. These secretions are spread to healthy people on doorknobs, faucet handles, etc. The virus then gets spread to healthy people when they touch their face or rub their eyes.
- These are how most respiratory viruses spread.
When to Call for COVID-19 Diagnosed or Suspected
Call 911 Now
Go to ER Now
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
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Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
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Self-Monitor
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Call 911 Now
- Severe trouble breathing (struggling for each breath, can barely speak)
- Lips or face are bluish
- You think you have a life-threatening emergency
Go to ER Now
- Lips or face turn bluish when coughing
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
- Trouble breathing, but not severe
- Breathing is much faster than normal
- Wheezing (high-pitched purring or whistling sound when breathing out)
- Chest pain and can't take a deep breath
- Sore throat with serious symptoms (such as can't swallow fluids or new-onset drooling)
- Muscle pains with serious symptoms (such as can't walk or can barely walk)
- Headache with serious symptoms (such as worst headache ever, confused, weak, stiff neck)
- You feel dehydrated (dark urine, dry mouth)
- Weak immune system, such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, organ transplant, taking oral steroids.
- You are at High-Risk due to health history. This includes lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other serious chronic disease.
- Fever or chills; feeling hot or shivery
- You feel weak or very sick
- You think you need to be seen, and the problem is urgent
Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
- Nonstop coughing spells
- Earache or ear drainage
- Sinus pain (not just congestion) around cheekbones or eyes
- Fever lasts more than 3 days
- Fever returns after being gone for more than 24 hours
- You think you need to be seen, but the problem is not urgent
Self-Monitor
- COVID-19 infection with MILD symptoms (cough, fever, sore throat, muscles pains, headache, loss of taste or smell, or others) and no trouble breathing
- COVID-19 home isolation, questions about
- COVID-19 testing, questions about
- COVID-19 prevention, questions about
Care Advice for Stomach Pain
What You Should Know About Stomach Pain:
- Mild stomach pain can be caused by something simple. It could be from gas pains or eating too much.
- Sometimes, stomach pain signals the start of a viral infection. This will lead to vomiting or loose stools.
- Watching your child for 2 hours will help tell you the cause.
- Here is some care advice that should help.
Lie Down:
- Have your child lie down and rest until feeling better.
Clear Fluids:
- Offer clear fluids only (such as water, flat soft drinks or half-strength Gatorade).
- For mild pain, offer a regular diet.
Prepare for Vomiting:
- Keep a vomiting pan handy.
- Younger children often talk about stomach pain when they have nausea. Nausea is the sick stomach feeling that comes before they throw up.
Pass a Stool:
- Have your child sit on the toilet and try to pass a stool.
- This may help if the pain is from constipation or diarrhea.
- Note: for constipation, moving a warm wet cotton ball on the anus may help.
Do Not Give Medicines:
- Any drug (like ibuprofen) could upset the stomach and make the pain worse.
- Do not give any pain medicines or laxatives for stomach cramps.
- For fever higher than 102° F (39° C), acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can be given.
What to Expect:
- With harmless causes, the pain is most often better or gone in 2 hours.
- With stomach flu, belly cramps may happen before each bout of vomiting or diarrhea. These cramps may come and go for a few days.
- With serious causes (such as appendicitis), the pain worsens and becomes constant.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Pain becomes severe
- Constant pain lasts more than 2 hours
- Mild pain that comes and goes lasts more than 24 hours
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse
Extra Help - Worried Stomach:
- Help your child talk about events that trigger the stomach pain. Talk to your child about how to cope with these the next time around.
- Help your child worry less about things she can't control.
- To treat the pain, help your child get very relaxed. Lying down in a quiet place and taking slow deep breaths may help. Make the belly go up and down with each breath. Then try to relax all the muscles in the body. Think about something pleasant. Listening to audios that teach how to relax might also help.
- Make sure your child gets enough sleep.
- Make sure that your child doesn't miss any school because of stomach pains. Stressed children tend to want to stay home when the going gets rough.
- Caution: your child should see her doctor for an exam. Do this before concluding frequent stomach pains are from worrying too much.
