Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. There
are many types of human coronaviruses, including some that commonly cause mild upper-respiratory tract
illnesses.
COVID-19 is a new disease, caused by a novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in
humans.
Symptoms:
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe
illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have
COVID-19:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more
about COVID-19.
When to get tested:
Considerations for who should get tested
People who have symptoms of COVID-19
People who have had close contact (within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) with
someone with confirmed COVID-19
People who have been asked or referred to get testing by their healthcare provider, or state health
department
Not everyone needs to be tested. If you do get tested, you should self-quarantine/isolate at home pending
test results and follow the advice of your health care provider or a public health professional.
You can visit your state or local hospitals website to look for the latest local information on testing.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19 and want to get tested, call your healthcare provider first.
If you test positive, know what protective steps to take to prevent others from getting sick.
If you test negative, you probably were not infected at the time your sample was collected. The test result
only means that you did not have COVID-19 at the time of testing. Continue to take steps to protect
yourself.
