Coronavirus COVID-19 symptoms in adults

Signs and symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure. This time after exposure and before having symptoms is called the incubation period. You can still spread COVID-19 before you have symptoms (presymptomatic transmission). Common signs and symptoms can include:

Fever
Cough
Tiredness

Early symptoms of COVID-19 may include a loss of taste or smell.

Other symptoms can include:

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Muscle aches
Chills
Sore throat
Runny nose
Headache
Chest pain
Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Rash

This list isn't complete. Children have similar symptoms to adults and generally have mild illness.

The severity of COVID-19 symptoms can range from very mild to severe. Some people may have only a few symptoms. Some people may have no symptoms at all, but can still spread it (asymptomatic transmission). Some people may experience worsened symptoms, such as worsened shortness of breath and pneumonia, about a week after symptoms start.

Some people experience COVID-19 symptoms for more than four weeks after they're diagnosed. These health issues are sometimes called post-COVID-19 conditions. Some children experience multisystem inflammatory syndrome, a syndrome that can affect some organs and tissues, several weeks after having COVID-19. Rarely, some adults experience the syndrome too.

People who are older have a higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, and the risk increases with age. People who have existing medical conditions also may have a higher risk of serious illness. Certain medical conditions that may increase the risk of serious illness from COVID-19 include:

Serious heart diseases, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathy
Cancer
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Type 1 or type 2 diabetes
Overweight, obesity or severe obesity
High blood pressure
Smoking
Chronic kidney disease
Sickle cell disease or thalassemia
Weakened immune system from solid organ transplants or bone marrow transplants
Pregnancy
Asthma
Chronic lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis or pulmonary hypertension
Liver disease
Dementia
Down syndrome
Weakened immune system from bone marrow transplant, HIV or some medications
Brain and nervous system conditions, such as strokes
Substance use disorders