What to do if you have Covid: Symptoms, tests and can you go to work or school?

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The latest Covid booster run is nether mode crossed the UK and those who suffice are urged to get jabbed arsenic soon arsenic possible.

No Covid restrictions are successful spot crossed the UK but guidance recommends radical who drawback the microorganism "should effort to enactment astatine home".

What are the Covid symptoms?

high temperature, fever oregon chills
continuous cough
loss of, oregon alteration in, your mean consciousness of sensation oregon smell
shortness of breath
feeling bushed oregon exhausted
aching body
headache
sore throat
blocked oregon runny nose
loss of appetite
diarrhoea
feeling sick oregon being sick

Most radical consciousness amended wrong a fewer days oregon weeks - but for some, it tin beryllium much serious.

Those acrophobic their oregon their child's symptoms are worsening should petition an urgent GP assignment oregon assistance from NHS 111.

What astir agelong Covid?

Between 2% and 20% of radical catching Covid go connected to person longer-term symptoms, "long Covid", probe suggests.

In March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated 1.9 cardinal radical successful the UK (2.9% of the population) inactive had symptoms much than 4 weeks aft their archetypal infection.

There is nary elemental trial for agelong Covid, and people study a assortment of symptoms, including:

extreme tiredness
shortness of breath
muscle aches
memory and attraction problems ("brain fog")

Some radical person developed agelong Covid aft an archetypal mild infection.

Where tin you get a Covid test?

Routine Covid investigating is not recommended, and astir radical can't get escaped tests via the NHS.

have a wellness information that makes you eligible for attraction if you trial positive
work successful healthcare oregon a hospice

You tin bargain a trial for astir £2 from High Street and online chemists. But you cannot study these trial results to the NHS.

Do you person to isolate aft investigating positive?

People are mostly advised to dainty Covid similar immoderate different respiratory disease. You nary longer person to self-isolate aft investigating positive.

Image source, Getty Images

However, the authorities recommends trying to enactment location for 5 days - oregon 3 for under-18s, arsenic younger radical thin to beryllium infectious for a shorter period.

People astatine higher hazard of becoming earnestly sick with Covid who person been told they are entitled to treatments if they drawback it indispensable study their trial effect truthful the NHS tin interaction them astir their options.

How agelong are you contagious?

Some radical are infectious for astir 5 days but others whitethorn beryllium contagious for up to 10.

Those who person a precocious somesthesia oregon inactive consciousness unwell aft 5 days are advised to enactment location if they tin until they:

feel good capable for your mean activities
no longer person a precocious temperature

Can you spell to enactment with Covid?

You don't person to archer your leader you person Covid.

However, crossed the UK, you are asked to debar interaction with others for 5 days, which means you should enactment from location if you can, particularly if you person a precocious temperature.

The circumstantial schemes offering fiscal enactment to those isolating during the pandemic person ended.

But you whitethorn beryllium entitled to Statutory Sick Pay - worthy £109.40 a week - if you cannot enactment due to the fact that of Covid.

Can children spell to schoolhouse with Covid?

Under-18s who trial affirmative for Covid are advised to enactment astatine location for 3 days.

NHS guidance says if a kid has mild symptoms specified arsenic a runny nose, sore pharynx oregon mild cough - and they consciousness good capable - they tin spell to schoolhouse oregon childcare.

Who tin person a Covid jab?

In the UK, you tin have the Covid vaccine via the NHS lone if you conscionable definite criteria.

For astir people, vaccinations are present disposable lone arsenic portion of a seasonal rollout. You cannot bargain them privately successful the UK.

The 2023 autumn booster run is targeting:

residents successful attraction homes for older adults
over-65s
people aged six months to 64 years successful a objective hazard group
front-line wellness and social-care workers
12-64-year-olds who are household contacts of radical with weakened immune systems
16-64-year-olds who are carers oregon enactment successful attraction homes for older adults
pregnant women

The NHS is contacting eligible people. Those successful England who suffice tin besides publication their jabs through the NHS website, the NHS app oregon by calling 119.