Common symptoms, warning signs, testing and careful interpretation
COVID-19 symptoms overlap with many respiratory infections. This guide explains warning signs, when early clinical contact matters, and how to reduce exposure to others while unwell.
Pregnant people should seek timely individual advice for fever, cough or breathing difficulty because infection can be associated with more severe outcomes in some cases.
Respiratory symptoms overlap heavily. Symptoms alone cannot reliably distinguish COVID-19, influenza and a common cold.
COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2. It spreads mainly through respiratory particles; symptoms range from none or mild illness to severe disease.
A negative test did not detect the virus at that moment. The meaning depends on the test type, timing, symptoms, exposure and the instructions for the specific test.
A single negative test does not always rule out infection. Timing, sample quality and the stage of illness affect test performance.