The main symptoms of coronavirus infection are:
- fever and high temperature
- a new, continuous dry cough and/or
- loss or change to the sense of smell or taste.
Other less common symptoms include aches and pains, nasal congestion, headache, tiredness and fatigue. Symptoms begin gradually and are usually mild. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. A small percentage can become seriously ill and develop difficulty breathing. This is particularly dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, for older people, and for those with long-term conditions such as diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.
