While leading public health experts urged Americans to avoid traveling this holiday season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, some may still be choosing to make plans for Christmas.
If you plan to meet with people who live outside your home during this holiday season, it is good to know how COVID-19 can present itself.
“The best way to prevent infection is to avoid exposure to the virus,” says the CDC. (iStock)
On their website, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn that the symptoms of the new virus can range from mild to severe, noting that older adults “and people with serious underlying medical conditions, such as heart or lung disease or diabetes appear to be at increased risk of developing more serious complications of COVID-19. ”
Infected people can have a wide variety of virus symptoms, with most symptoms appearing two to 14 days after exposure to the virus.
ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE?
The most common symptoms include the following:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
FDA APPROVES MODERN COVID-19 VACCINE
For anyone who suspects that they may have been exposed to the virus, or are showing any of the above symptoms, a diagnostic test can confirm whether there is an active infection or not.
“The best way to prevent infection is to avoid exposure to the virus,” says the CDC.