Symptoms and Managing COVID-19

Last updated: May 25, 2020. For the most up-to-date information, see the BC Centre for Disease Control or Public Health Agency of Canada.

Learn about the symptoms of COVID-19, what to do if you or someone in your household is sick with COVID-19, testing, and treatment below.

Health advice in this section comes from 2 evidence-based, up-to-date online sources of credible public health information:  the BC Centre for Disease Control and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Your friendly C19 Response Coalition team, also known as the people behind this website, is operating in solidarity with and separately from the public health agencies listed above. We provide real-world applications for the public health advice shared throughout this site.

Key information

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

Updated: May 25, 2020.

According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, the symptoms of COVID-19 include:

  • Fever (above 37°C, if temperature is taken orally)
  • Chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sore throat and painful swallowing
  • Stuffy or runny nose
  • Loss of sense of smell
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of appetite

Symptoms may show up between 1 to 14 days after you are exposed to the virus. This 14-day period is known as the incubation period of the virus, and is the “longest known incubation period” for COVID-19, according to medical knowledge.

While these symptoms are similar to the flu and common cold, COVID-19 is NOT the same as the flu. Read about the differences between COVID-19 and the flu in this article by the World Health Organization (WHO).

I don’t have symptoms. Can I still be sick with COVID-19?

Yes, the BC Centre for Disease Control states that people may experience little to no symptoms of COVID-19 but still be infected with the virus. Medical professionals are still researching why patients experience such a range and variety of COVID-19 symptoms. The complex health conditions of each individual contribute to how they may respond to COVID-19.

Recent evidence indicates that the virus can be transmitted to others from someone who is infected but not showing symptoms.

This includes people who:

  • Have not yet developed symptoms (pre-symptomatic); and
  • Never develop symptoms (asymptomatic).

-From Public Health Agency of Canada (Retrieved April 16, 2020)

For the above reasons, the Public Health Agency of Canada advises that everyone do their best to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through personal hygiene and maintaining physical distance from others outside their own households. Learn how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 here.

What is self-isolation? Do I need to self-isolate?

According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, “Self-isolation means staying home and avoiding situations where you could come in contact with others.”

You should self-isolate if you:

  • Have symptoms of COVID-19.
  • Live with people who have symptoms of COVID-19.
  • Have been in contact with someone who is confirmed to have COVID-19.
  • Have travelled outside of Canada, according to the Quarantine Act.

I feel unwell

 

I feel unwell and have symptoms, what should I do?

Updated: May 25, 2020.

The BC Centre for Disease Control recommends taking the following actions:

1. Self-isolate

2. Prevent the spread of COVID-19

  • Learn how more here.

3. Keep track of your symptoms

  • Watch out for symptoms of fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.

Take and write down your temperature every day. Try not to use medicines that reduce fever, e.g. acetaminophen or ibuprofen. If you have taken acetaminophen or ibuprofen take your temperature at least 4 hours after your last dose of that medicine.

Other symptoms may include: Muscle aches, fatigue, sore throat, headache, loss of appetite, chills, runny nose, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, loss of sense of smell or taste.

-From BC Centre for Disease Control (Published April 15, 2020, Retrieved April 16, 2020)

The BC Centre for Disease Control provides a "Daily Self-Monitoring Form for COVID-19" that you can print and use here.

4. Seek medical care

  • Take the BC COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool at https://bc.thrive.health/ to determine if you require testing or further assessment.
  • Follow the advice you have received from your healthcare provider.
  • If you visit a medical facility outside of your home, call the facility ahead of time so they can prepare for you.
  • Call HealthLinkBC at 8-1-1. For more guidance, see the “Learn More” section below.

Be careful! Currently, the Public Health Agency of Canada has “not approved any product to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19.” There are many unverified home remedies and so-called cures for COVID-19 circulating the internet. Read our What's real and what's fake guide on how to distinguish accurate medical information from inaccurate tips and unsupported advice.

I feel unwell and live alone

For groceries, food, and essential items

  • Contact friends, family, or delivery drivers by phone or internet to drop off food and items OUTSIDE your home. Avoid face-to-face contact with people.

The C19 Response Coalition team says…

The Chinatown Grocery Delivery Service provides grocery deliveries to senior citizens and at-risk community members in the Chinatown and Strathcona community during the COVID-19 health emergency.

For more guidance, see the “I feel unwell and have symptoms, what should I do?” section above.

I feel unwell and live with others in my home

Keep your distance

When you share spaces with others in your home

  • Make sure that the room has good airflow (e.g. open windows).
  • Stay at least 2 meters away from them.
  • Wear a medical mask (surgical or procedural) that covers your nose and mouth.
  • If you cannot wear a mask, people should wear a mask when they are in the same room as you.

For more guidance, see “I feel unwell and have symptoms, what should I do?” above.

I feel better. When can I stop self-isolating?

Updated: May 25, 2020.

Stay at home and self-isolate for at least 10 days after you experience symptoms. You can end self-isolation if you meet the following 3 criteria set out by the BC Centre for Disease Control:

  1. At least 10 days have passed since the start of your symptoms, AND
  2. Your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medications (e.g. Tylenol, ibuprofen), AND
  3. You are feeling better (e.g. improvement in cough, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue). Coughing may go on for several weeks, so a cough alone does not mean you need to continue to self-monitor and self-isolate.

-From HealthLink BC (Retrieved May 25, 2020).

If symptoms worsen or you have shortness of breath within the first 10 days:

“Call your family physician or nurse practitioner for immediate medical attention. If you are unable to reach your regular care provider, seek care in a COVID-19 Assessment and Treatment Centre, Urgent & Primary Care Centre (UPCC) or Emergency Department.”

-From BC Centre for Disease Control (Published April 15, 2020, Retrieved April 16, 2020)

Managing COVID-19

I have a chronic health condition, what should I do?

According to the BC Center for Disease Control, older people with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and lung disease are “at a higher risk of developing more severe illness or complications from COVID-19”.

Protect Yourself

Leaving Home to Seek Medical Care

The BC Center for Disease Control advises to only leave your home for medical appointments for your chronic health condition. When you are outside of your home:

  • Keep at least 2 meters away from others.
  • Have at least a 2-week supply of medications on hand.
  • Avoid touching surfaces in public spaces such as doorknobs, handrails, or elevator buttons. If you must touch these surfaces, use a tissue or sleeve to cover your hand.
  • Wash your hands as often as you can.
  • Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer when you can’t access a sink.

The C19 Response Coalition team says…

Ask your pharmacy whether they provide medication delivery services or allow someone to pick up prescriptions on your behalf.

I am living with someone who has COVID-19 symptoms, what should I do?

Updated: May 25, 2020.

The Public Health Agency of Canada advises the following steps to anyone who lives in the same household as someone with COVID-19 or respiratory symptoms.

Self-isolate at home for 14 days

  • Stay at home for at least 14 days
  • Avoid contact with anyone outside of your home.
  • Keep track of whether you develop symptoms.

Keep your Distance

Tips for Safe Cleaning

  • Regularly disinfect and clean surfaces in shared spaces such as countertops, doorknobs, toilets, and sink tap handles.
  • Always line wastebaskets with a plastic bag and take care to not touch used tissues with your hands.
  • Always line laundry baskets with a disposable plastic bag. “Wash with regular laundry soap and hot water (60-90°C)”.
  • Wear gloves and a medical mask (surgical or procedural) when handling anything that may have come in contact with their saliva or body fluids. Dispose your gloves and mask right away.
  • Wash your hands with soap and warm water after handling any waste or laundry.

Testing for COVID-19

Updated: May 25, 2020.

The BC Centre for Disease control is expanding testing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in communities. Testing is recommended for anyone with symptoms, even if they are mild:

  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sore throat and painful swallowing
  • Stuffy or runny nose
  • Loss of sense of smell
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of appetite

-From the BC Centre for Disease Control. (Retrieved May 25, 2020).

To determine if you require testing for COVID-19, use the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool first.

COVID-19 testing is available to those who are referred by their physician, nurse practitioner, or by calling HealthLinkBC at 8-1-1.

Treatment for COVID-19

Currently, there is no vaccine to cure COVID-19. “If you have received a flu vaccine, it will not protect against coronaviruses.”

For most cases, the BC Centre for Disease Control advises at-home treatment such as “Drinking plenty of fluids, rest, and using a humidifier or hot shower to ease a cough or sore throat”. For serious cases of COVID-19, hospital care may be needed.

More information

Be careful of disinformation

Information on how to stay safe from COVID-19 is rapidly evolving as health experts and government agencies learn more about this novel virus.

Currently, the Public Health Agency of Canada has “not approved any product to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19.”

The internet is full of useful information, but there are also many false, potentially harmful myths circulating about COVID-19. Learn more about how to assess the credibility of COVID-19 information with our What's real and what's fake guide.

Learn More

Updated: May 25, 2020.

COVID-19 helplines

See our detailed guides on COVID-19 helplines and how to access multilingual support here.

  • For medical information and health advice, call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1. Live translations are available.
  • For non-medical information about COVID-19 including the support and resources from the provincial and federal governments, call BC’s provincial helpline 1-888-COVID19. Live translations are available.
  • United Way provides information and support for finance, legal services, family services, and more at 2-1-1.
  • For immediate help for life-threatening emergencies, chest pains, and difficulty breathing, call 9-1-1. Live translations are available.
  • For non-medical information about COVID-19, call Canada’s federal toll free number at 1-833-784-4397.

References

Updated: May 25, 2020.

Pages are in order of appearance.

 

Christa Yeung