What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is the disease caused by a new coronavirus called

SARS-CoV-2.  WHO first learned of this new virus on 31
December 2019, following a report of a cluster of cases of
‘viral pneumonia’ in Wuhan, People’s Republic of China.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are

 Fever
 Dry cough
 Fatigue
Other symptoms that are less common and may affect some
patients include:
 Loss of taste or smell,
 Nasal congestion,
 Conjunctivitis (also known as red eyes)
 Sore throat,
 Headache,
 Muscle or joint pain,
 Different types of skin rash,
 Nausea or vomiting,
 Diarrhea,
 Chills or dizziness.
 
Symptoms of severe COVID‐19 disease include:
 Shortness of breath,
 Loss of appetite,
  Confusion,
 Persistent pain or pressure in the chest,
 High temperature (above 38 °C).
Other less common symptoms are:
 Irritability,
 Confusion,
 Reduced consciousness (sometimes associated with
seizures),
 Anxiety,
 Depression,
 Sleep disorders,
 More severe and rare neurological complications such as
strokes, brain inflammation, delirium, and nerve damage.
People of all ages who experience fever and/or cough
associated with difficulty breathing or shortness of breath,
chest pain or pressure, or loss of speech or movement should
seek medical care immediately. If possible, call your health
care provider, hotline, or health facility first, so you can be
directed to the right clinic.
What happens to people who get COVID-19?
Among those who develop symptoms, most (about 80%)
recover from the disease without needing hospital treatment.
About 15% become seriously ill and require oxygen and 5%
become critically ill and need intensive care.
Complications leading to death may include respiratory
failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis
and septic shock, thromboembolism, and/or multiorgan
failure, including injury to the heart, liver, or kidneys.
In rare situations, children can develop a severe inflammatory
syndrome a few weeks after infection. 
Who is most at risk of severe illness from COVID-19?
People aged 60 years and over, and those with underlying
medical problems like high blood pressure, heart and lung
problems, diabetes, obesity, or cancer, are at higher risk of
developing serious illnesses. 
However, anyone can get sick with COVID-19 and become
seriously ill or die at any age. 
Are there long-term effects of COVID-19?
Some people who have had COVID-19, whether they have
needed hospitalization or not, continue to experience
symptoms, including fatigue, respiratory and neurological
symptoms.
WHO is working with our Global Technical Network for
Clinical Management of COVID-19, researchers, and patient
groups around the world to design and carry out studies of
patients beyond the initial acute course of illness to
understand the proportion of patients who have long-term
effects, how long they persist, and why they occur.  These
studies will be used to develop further guidance for patient
care.

How can we protect others and ourselves if we don't know

who is infected?
Stay safe by taking some simple precautions, such as physical
distancing, wearing a mask, especially when distancing
cannot be maintained, keeping rooms well ventilated,
avoiding crowds and close contact, regularly cleaning your
hands, and coughing into a bent elbow or tissue. Check local
advice where you live and work. Do it all!
When should I get a test for COVID-19?
Anyone with symptoms should be tested, wherever possible.
People who do not have symptoms but have had close contact
with someone who is, or maybe, infected may also consider
testing – contact your local health guidelines and follow their
guidance.  
While a person is waiting for test results, they should remain
isolated from others. Where testing capacity is limited, tests
should first be done for those at higher risk of infection, such
as health workers, and those at higher risk of severe illness
such as older people, especially those living in seniors’
residences or long-term care facilities
What test should I get to see if I have COVID-19?
In most situations, a molecular test is used to detect SARS-
CoV-2 and confirm infection. Polymerase chain reaction
(PCR) is the most commonly used molecular test. Samples are
collected from the nose and/or throat with a swab. Molecular
tests detect viruses in the sample by amplifying viral genetic
material to detectable levels. For this reason, a molecular test
is used to confirm an active infection, usually within a few
days of exposure and around the time that symptoms may
begin. 
There are three categories of testing if I would want to
simplify them. The first one is to identify whether the actual
COVID virus genetic material exists, and that's called
a NAAT test, N-A-A-T. And it's the PCR testing where you
would have a nasal pharyngeal swab or a pharyngeal
swab taken. And then they look for the genetic material of the
virus itself. The second type of testing is when they try to
identify one of the outer proteins of the viral shell or envelope
if you will. And that's called antigen testing. So, they try to
detect the outer protein of the virus. And the third type is to
detect within the human body, whether they’ve developed
antibodies. So, it looks for antibodies that are specific to the
outer portion of the virus itself. So, it shows whether the
individual has mounted an immune response or developed
immunity towards that specific virus or to COVID. So, those
are the three big categories of testing that exist
What about rapid tests?
Rapid antigen tests (sometimes known as a rapid diagnostic
test – RDT) detect viral proteins (known as antigens).
Samples are collected from the nose and/or throat with a
swab. These tests are cheaper than PCR and will offer results
more quickly, although they are generally less accurate. These
tests perform best when there is more virus circulating in the
community and when sampled from an individual during the
time they are most infectious. 
I want to find out if I had COVID-19 in the past, what test
could I take?
Antibody tests can tell us whether someone has had an
infection in the past, even if they have not had symptoms.
Also known as serological tests and usually done on a blood
sample, these tests detect antibodies produced in response to
an infection. In most people, antibodies start to develop after
days to weeks and can indicate if a person has had a past
infection. Antibody tests cannot be used to diagnose COVID-
19 in the early stages of infection or disease but can indicate
whether or not someone has had the disease in the past.
What is the difference between isolation and quarantine
Both isolation and quarantine are methods of preventing the
spread of COVID-19.
Quarantine is used for anyone who is in contact with
someone infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes
COVID-19, whether the infected person has symptoms or not.
Quarantine means that you remain separated from others
because you have been exposed to the virus and you may be
infected and can take place in a designated facility or at home.
For COVID-19, this means staying in the facility or at home
for 14 days.
Isolation is used for people with COVID-19 symptoms or
who have tested positive for the virus. Being in isolation
means being separated from other people, ideally in a medical
facility where you can receive clinical care.  If isolation in a
medical facility is not possible and you are not in a high-risk
group of developing severe disease, isolation can take place at
home. If you have symptoms, you should remain in isolation
for at least 10 days plus an additional 3 days without
symptoms. If you are infected and do not develop symptoms,
you should remain in isolation for 10 days from the time you
test positive. 
What should I do if I have been exposed to someone who
has COVID-19?
If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you
may become infected, even if you feel well.
After exposure to someone who has COVID-19, do the
following:
  Call your health care provider or COVID-19 hotline to
find out where and when to get a test.
 Cooperate with contact-tracing procedures to stop the
spread of the virus.
 If testing is not available, stay home and away from
others for 14 days.
 While you are in quarantine, do not go to work, school,
or public places. Ask someone to bring you supplies.
 Keep at least a 1-meter distance from others, even from
your family members.
 Wear a medical mask to protect others, including if/when
you need to seek medical care.
 Clean your hands frequently.
 Stay in a separate room from other family members, and
if not possible, wear a medical mask.
 Keep the room well-ventilated.
 If you share a room, place beds at least 1 meter apart.
 Monitor yourself for any symptoms for 14 days. 
 Stay positive by keeping in touch with loved ones by
phone or online, and by exercising at home.
If you live in an area with malaria or dengue fever, seek
medical help if you have a fever. While traveling to and from
the health facility and during medical care, wear a mask, keep
at least a 1-meter distance from other people, and avoid
touching surfaces with your hands. This applies to adults and
children
How long does it take to develop symptoms?
The time from exposure to COVID-19 to the moment when
symptoms begin is, on average, 5-6 days and can range from
1-14 days. This is why people who have been exposed to the
virus are advised to remain at home and stay away from
others, for 14 days, to prevent the spread of the virus,
especially where testing is not easily available.
Is there a vaccine for COVID-19?
Yes. The first mass vaccination program started in early
December 2020 and the number of vaccination doses
administered is updated daily here. At least 13 different
vaccines (across 4 platforms) have been administered.
Campaigns have started in 206 economies.
The Pfizer/BioNTech Comirnaty vaccine was listed for WHO
Emergency Use Listing (EUL) on 31 December 2020. The
SII/Covishield and AstraZeneca/AZD1222 vaccines
(developed by AstraZeneca/Oxford and manufactured by the
Serum Institute of India and SK Bio respectively) were given
EUL on 16 February. The Janssen/Ad26.COV 2.S developed
by Johnson & Johnson, was listed for EUL on 12 March 2021.
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA 1273) was listed
for EUL on 30 April 2021 and the Sinopharm COVID-19
vaccine was listed for EUL on 7 May 2021. The Sinopharm
vaccine is produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological
Products Co Ltd, a subsidiary of China National Biotec Group
(CNBG).
For further information, see here.
Once vaccines are demonstrated to be safe and efficacious,
they must be approved by national regulators, manufactured
to exacting standards, and distributed. WHO is working with
partners around the world to help coordinate key steps in this
process, including facilitating equitable access to safe and
effective COVID-19 vaccines for the billions of people who
will need them
What should I do if I have COVID-19 symptoms?
If you have any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, call your
health care provider or COVID-19 hotline for instructions and
find out when and where to get a test, stay at home for 14
days away from others and monitor your health.
If you have shortness of breath or pain or pressure in the
chest, seek medical attention at a health facility immediately.
Call your health care provider or hotline in advance for
directions to the right health facility.
If you live in an area with malaria or dengue fever, seek
medical care if you have a fever.
If local guidance recommends visiting a medical center for
testing, assessment or isolation, wear a medical mask while
traveling to and from the facility and during medical
care. Also, keep at least a 1-meter distance from other people
and avoid touching surfaces with your hands.  This applies to
adults and children
Are there treatments for COVID-19?
Scientists around the world are working to find and develop
treatments for COVID-19.
Optimal supportive care includes oxygen for severely ill
patients and those who are at risk for severe disease and more
advanced respiratory support such as ventilation for patients
who are critically ill.
Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid that can help reduce the
length of time on a ventilator and save the lives of patients
with a severe and critical illnesses. Read our dexamethasone
Q&A for more information.  
Results from the WHO’s Solidarity Trial indicated that
remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir, and
interferon regimens appear to have little or no effect on 28-
day mortality or the in-hospital course of COVID-19 among
hospitalized patients.
Hydroxychloroquine has not been shown to offer any benefit
for the treatment of COVID-19. Read
our hydroxychloroquine Q&A for more information.
WHO does not recommend self-medication with any
medicines, including antibiotics, as a prevention or cure for
COVID-19. WHO is coordinating efforts to develop
treatments for COVID-19 and will continue to provide new
information as it becomes available.
Are antibiotics effective in preventing or treating COVID-
19?
Antibiotics do not work against viruses; they only work on
bacterial infections. COVID-19 is caused by a virus, so
antibiotics do not work. Antibiotics should not be used as a
means of prevention or treatment of COVID-19.
In hospitals, physicians will sometimes use antibiotics to
prevent or treat secondary bacterial infections which can be a
complication of COVID-19 in severely ill patients. They
should only be used as directed by a physician to treat a
bacterial infection.