{"id":772619,"date":"2026-09-16T15:12:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T15:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/772619\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T15:12:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T15:12:15","slug":"nhs-latest-covid-symptoms-and-what-to-do-if-you-have-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/772619\/","title":{"rendered":"NHS latest Covid symptoms and what to do if you have it"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NHS provides guidance on Covid symptoms to watch for, along with advice on what to do if you contract the virus. <\/p>\n

With pupils having returned to school and the seasons changing, many people are already experiencing runny noses, sniffles and coughs. As many symptoms overlap, distinguishing between a cold, flu and Covid can be challenging. However, according to the NHS<\/a>, the most common indicators of Covid are a high temperature, a new and continuous cough, and a loss or change to your sense of taste or smell.<\/p>\n

Those with Covid may also suffer from fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches<\/a>, body aches, a sore throat<\/a>, a runny nose, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Most people feel better within a few weeks, though recovery can take longer. <\/p>\n

For some, it can be a more severe illness with symptoms persisting for an extended period.<\/p>\n

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Do I need to take a Covid test?<\/p>\n

Previously, the public was encouraged to take Covid tests when showing symptoms. However, current guidance states this is no longer necessary for most people.<\/p>\n

If you decide to take a test and the result is positive, the NHS recommends you try to stay at home and avoid contact with others for:<\/p>\n

three days after the day the test was taken if you (or the child who took the test) is under 18 years old<\/p>\n

five days after the day you took your test if you are 18 years old or over <\/p>\n

You should also “avoid meeting people who are more likely to get seriously ill from infections, such as people with a weakened immune system, for 10 days after the day you took your test”.<\/p>\n

What should I do if I have Covid symptoms?<\/p>\n

NHS guidance advises that you should try to remain at home and limit contact with others if you or your child are experiencing symptoms, have a high temperature and\/or feel too unwell to attend work, school, or childcare.<\/p>\n

You may return to your usual routine once you feel better or your temperature has returned to normal. If your child is experiencing mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat or mild cough, and feels well enough, they are able to attend school or childcare.<\/p>\n

What can I do to recover from Covid?<\/p>\n

The steps you can take to help yourself recover from Covid are much the same as those you would follow when dealing with a cold or flu. Ensure you get plenty of rest, keep yourself well hydrated, and take paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve any aches and pains.<\/p>\n

A teaspoon of honey may help ease a cough, however honey should never be given to babies under one. If breathlessness is an issue, turning down the heating or opening a window may provide relief – as can sitting upright in a chair and relaxing your shoulders.<\/p>\n

Refrain from lying on your back if you have a cough, and try to stay calm if you feel breathless as anxiety can make it worse. It is also inadvisable to use a fan to cool your room, as this could potentially spread the virus.<\/p>\n

In the week to August 31, there were 261 patients admitted to healthcare settings in England with Covid. This was up 15%, from 227, in the previous week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The NHS provides guidance on Covid symptoms to watch for, along with advice on what to do if…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":772620,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[102,2960,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-772619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/772619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=772619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/772619\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/772620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=772619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=772619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=772619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}