
Respirators such as nonsurgical N95s give the most protection. The CDC says that you should wear the most protective mask possible that you'll wear regularly, fits well and is comfortable. Using masks in public may help reduce the spread from people who don't have symptoms. If you're in an area with a high number of people with COVID-19 in the hospital and new COVID-19 cases, the CDC recommends wearing a well-fitted mask indoors in public. Check with your health care provider about other ways to protect yourself. If you have a chronic medical condition, you may have a higher risk of serious illness.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.Avoid crowds and indoor places that have poor airflow (ventilation).Keep distance between yourself and others when you're in indoor public spaces.Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick or has symptoms.WHO and CDC recommend following these precautions: There are many steps you can take to reduce your risk of infection from the COVID-19 virus and reduce the risk of spreading it to others. Research suggests that getting a booster dose can decrease your risk of infection and severe illness with COVID-19. In contrast, a booster dose is recommended for people who are vaccinated and whose immune response weakened over time. The FDA has also authorized the Novavax COVID-19, adjuvanted vaccine for people age 12 and older.Īn additional primary shot of a COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for people who are vaccinated and might not have had a strong enough immune response. And the FDA has given emergency use authorization to the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for age 6 months to age 17. The FDA has approved the Moderna vaccine, now called Spikevax, to prevent COVID-19 in people age 18 and older. The FDA has given emergency use authorization to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children age 6 months to 11 years old. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, now called Comirnaty, to prevent COVID-19 in people age 12 and older. Can COVID-19 be prevented?Ī vaccine might prevent you from getting COVID-19 or prevent you from becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 if you get the COVID-19 virus. Symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure. Other less common symptoms have also been reported.

Other signs and symptoms may include shortness of breath, muscle aches, chills, sore throat, headache, chest pain, diarrhea, vomiting and nausea. The most common signs and symptoms are fever, cough, tiredness, and loss of taste or smell. What are the symptoms of COVID-19?ĬOVID-19 symptoms can be very mild to severe.

It's possible to get COVID-19 twice or more. This is called presymptomatic transmission.

The COVID-19 virus can also spread from someone who is infected but hasn't developed symptoms yet. This is called asymptomatic transmission. The COVID-19 virus can spread from someone who is infected but has no symptoms. The virus can also spread if you touch a surface with the virus on it and then touch your mouth, nose or eyes. Sometimes the COVID-19 virus can spread when a person is exposed to small droplets or aerosols that stay in the air for several minutes or hours - called airborne transmission. These droplets can be inhaled or land in the mouth, nose or eyes of a person nearby. The virus spreads by respiratory droplets released when someone infected with the virus coughs, sneezes, breathes, sings or talks. Data has shown that the COVID-19 virus mainly spreads from person to person among those in close contact.
