COVID-19 advice
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What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
COVID-19 symptoms can vary from person to person, but may include:
- High temperature or chills – feeling hot to touch on your chest or back
- New, continuous cough or coughing frequently for over an hour or 3 or more episodes within 24 hours
- Loss of, or change to, sense of smell or taste
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- Aching body
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Blocked or runny nose
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea
- Feeling or being sick
These symptoms can be similar to those of a cold or flu. While most people start to feel better within a few weeks, some may take longer to recover. In some cases, COVID-19 can lead to more serious or longer-lasting symptoms.
Testing for COVID-19
A COVID-19 rapid lateral flow test can provide quick results on the device that comes with the kit. It’s important to follow the instructions on the test kit to give you a reliable result.
Most people no longer have access to free COVID-19 rapid lateral flow tests. However, you might still qualify for free testing through the NHS if:
- You have a particular medical condition
- You work in a healthcare setting or a hospice
For those who aren’t eligible, you’ll need to pay for a test.
If you or your child test positive for COVID-19, there are ways to help protect others while recovering.
For children and young people under 18:
Try to stay home and limit close contact with others for 3 days after the positive test. Young people and children are generally contagious for a shorter period of time than adults.
For adults 18 or older:
Try to stay home and avoid close contact for 5 days following the day of your positive test. It’s also important to avoid contact with higher-risk people, like those with weakened immune systems, for 10 days after the day you tested.
If you’re worried about symptoms, make sure to speak to your GP or call NHS 111. You should also speak to them if:
- Symptoms are getting worse or not improving
- Additional symptoms appear, like a rash, loss of appetite, or feeling unusually weak
- A high temperature lasting 5 days or more or doesn’t improve with medication like paracetamol or ibuprofen
- A child under 3 months has a temperature of 38°C or above
- A child aged 3 to 6 months has a temperature of 39°C or higher
Seeking advice is especially important if you or your child are at higher risk of COVID-19, like if you have a weakened immune system, you are pregnant, or over 60.
If you or your child have COVID-19 symptoms, try to stay at home and avoid close contact with others, especially if:
- You have a high temperature
- You’re not feeling well enough for work, school, childcare or your regular activities
Once you’re feeling better and your temperature is back to normal, you can return to your usual routine. Children with mild symptoms, like a runny nose, sore throat, or mild cough can go to school or childcare if they feel well enough.
Make sure to call 999 or go to A&E right away if you or your child:
- Appear very unwell, are getting worse, or you sense something serious is wrong
- Experience sudden chest pain
- Are too breathless to speak in short sentences or experience rapid breathing decline
- Cough up blood
- Collapse, faint, or have a seizure or fit for the first time
- Develop a rash that doesn’t fade with a glass test (similar to meningitis)
Managing COVID-19
It’s not always possible to treat COVID-19, but you can take these steps to help ease symptoms like a high temperature, cough and breathlessness.
Try to
- Get plenty of rest to help your body recover
- Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water. Your wee should be light yellow or clear
- Take pain relief medicines like paracetamol or ibuprofen if you’re uncomfortable and it's suitable for you
- Soothe a cough with a teaspoon of honey (only for those over 12 months)
- Ease breathlessness by turning down the heating or opening a window
- Practice slow breathing. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth as if gently blowing out a candle
- Sit upright to help with breathlessness and relax your shoulders to avoid tension
- Lean forward slightly by resting your hands on your knees or a stable surface to help with breathlessness
Try to avoid
- Lying on your back if you have a cough. Instead, try lying on your side or sitting upright
- Using a fan to cool down, as it could spread the virus
- Panicking if you’re breathless, as it may make it worse
High risk individuals
The NHS provides COVID-19 treatments for people at high risk of severe illness.
There are several treatments for high-risk individuals, depending on your situation.
If you’re eligible for COVID-19 treatment, you should keep rapid lateral flow tests at home. You might also be able to receive free rapid lateral flow tests. You can also have someone collect the tests for you if they provide your details and proof of eligibility.
If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, take a rapid lateral flow test as soon as possible, even if your symptoms are mild. Make sure to only take a test if you have symptoms.
If your test is positive, speak to your GP, NHS 111 or hospital specialist for next steps. Quick treatment is key, so call as soon as possible after symptoms start. For those eligible, starting treatment quickly can help manage symptoms and reduce the risk of serious illness.
Most people recover from COVID-19 within a few weeks, but for some, symptoms can last much longer. This extended recovery is called long COVID or post COVID-19 syndrome, a condition still being researched to understand its impact and treatment.
The most frequently reported symptoms include:
- Extreme tiredness (fatigue)
- Shortness of breath
- Memory or concentration issues (‘brain fog’)
- Heart palpitations
- Dizziness
- Joint and muscle pain
Other symptoms may include loss of smell, chest pain, difficulty sleeping, or digestive issues like nausea and diarrhoea.
If you’ve had symptoms lasting 4 weeks or more and are concerned, make sure to speak to your GP. They may conduct tests, such as blood tests or a chest X-ray, and offer advice on managing post COVID-19 symptoms at home.
For ongoing symptoms that affect daily life, your GP may refer you to an NHS long COVID service.
There are things you can do to help with the symptoms of long COVID. We’ve put together a guide to support you.
Preventing the spread of COVID-19
COVID-19 spreads easily through close contact, especially indoors or in crowded spaces. When someone with the virus breathes, talks, coughs, or sneezes, small droplets containing the virus can be released into the air.
Others can catch it by breathing in these droplets or touching surfaces they land on, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
Even if you feel fine, are fully vaccinated, or have had COVID-19 before, you can still catch or pass it on. While many people are less infectious after 5 days, some can be contagious for up to 10 days.
To help reduce your risk, make sure to:
- Wash hands regularly with soap and water or hand sanitiser throughout the day
- Avoid touching your face if your hands aren’t clean
If you or your child are more vulnerable to illness from COVID-19, you should try to:
- Meet outdoors if possible, or open windows and doors if you’re indoors
- Stay at least 2 metres away from others, particularly indoors or in crowded places
- If possible, work from home or talk to your employer about ways to reduce your risk
- Wear a face covering when it’s hard to keep a distance, and consider asking others to wear one too
- Avoid contact with people who have COVID-19 symptoms until they feel better
If you have symptoms or test positive, to help protect others, you should:
- Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and encourage others, especially children, to do the same
- Clean frequently touched surfaces regularly, especially in shared spaces like kitchens or bathrooms
- Try to stay away from others, including those at home, until you feel better
- Tell anyone who needs to visit your home that you have tested positive or have symptoms
- Consider asking friends, family, or neighbours to help with food and essentials
- Avoid crowded or indoor spaces, including public transport, if you need to leave your home
- Wear a face covering when it’s difficult to keep a distance
- Let healthcare providers know if you have COVID-19 or symptoms before any in-person appointments
COVID-19 vaccination
The COVID-19 vaccination offers protection against serious illness due to COVID-19.
It helps to:
- Lower your chances of severe symptoms
- Speed up recovery if you do get the COVID-19 infection
- Reduce your risk of hospitalisation or serious outcomes
- Protect against different variants of the virus
The vaccination is recommended for people at higher risk from COVID-19.
This includes, but is not limited to:
- Those aged 65 and over
- Pregnant people
- People aged 6 months to 64 years with certain health conditions
- Residents in older adult care homes
- Frontline health or social care workers
For a full list of eligible groups, please speak to your GP.
If you’re unwell or have symptoms of COVID-19, wait until you feel better before getting vaccinated. If you’ve recently recovered from COVID-19, you don’t need to delay your vaccination.
If you’re eligible for the free NHS COVID-19 vaccination, there are several ways you can get it, including through a local service, like a community pharmacy or your GP surgery, or a care home if you live in a care home.
Alternatively, we offer a private COVID-19 Vaccination Service9. Most side effects are mild and improve within a week. Make sure to read the patient information leaflet for your vaccination.
The COVID-19 Vaccination Service9 is suitable for adults and children over 12 years and is available in selected Boots pharmacies across England, Scotland and Wales.
It’s important to remember, the vaccination cannot give you the COVID-19 infection.
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Frequently Asked Questions
If you or your child test positive for COVID-19, you should try to stay home and avoid contact with people. We’ve covered more detail on this in the ‘Testing positive for COVID-19’ section of the page.
Most people are no longer infectious after 5 days, but some can still spread COVID-19 for up to 10 days. For extra safety, avoid close contact with others until 10 days have passed, especially if you’re at higher risk of getting a COVID-19 infection. Try to avoid contact with people who have symptoms of COVID-19 until they feel better.
By day 4 of having COVID-19, symptoms can vary widely. Some people may still experience mild symptoms, while others may start to notice symptoms becoming more intense. We’ve covered more on the ‘Symptoms of COVID-19’ section of the page.
COVID-19 symptoms vary a lot between individuals, but they usually peak in the first week of illness, typically around 3 to 5 days after you start to feel unwell. Some people may develop a worsening cough or sore throat. Others might not notice a change in symptoms.
If you have COVID-19, try to stay home and avoid close contact for 5 days following a positive test. You should try to avoid contact with higher-risk people, like those with weakened immune systems, for 10 days after testing.
3Subject to availability. Eligibility criteria apply.
9Eligibility criteria and charges apply. Available in selected pharmacies, subject to availability. Please note this is not an NHS service.
10Eligibility criteria and charges apply. In most Boots pharmacies, subject to availability. People aged 65 and over are also eligible for a free NHS pneumonia vaccination. If you’re over 65 and haven’t already had the NHS vaccination, speak to your doctor about having this. It’s a different type of vaccination to the one used in the Boots service so you may want to consider having both to further increase your protection against pneumonia. You may also be eligible for the NHS vaccination if you are under 65 and are living with a long-term health condition such as diabetes. The Boots Pneumonia Vaccination Service does not replace the need for the NHS vaccination.
