NHS outlines current Covid symptoms and recommended home care steps
The NHS has updated its advice on recognising Covid signs and how to manage the illness at home, noting that testing is no longer required for most people.
The NHS has refreshed its public guidance on Covid-19, highlighting that the most common symptoms are fever, a new continuous cough, and changes to taste or smell, though a broader range of signs like fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches, and gastrointestinal problems may also appear. Testing is now optional for most, and a positive result triggers a self-isolation period of three days for those under 18 and five days for adults, with a recommendation to avoid contact with high-risk individuals for ten days.
Individuals are urged to stay at home, limit interactions, and only return to work or school once they feel better and their temperature normalises; children with mild symptoms may still attend school. Recovery advice mirrors cold and flu care: ample rest, fluids, paracetamol or ibuprofen, and practical measures to ease breathing, while avoiding fans that could disperse the virus. The NHS reported a 15% increase in Covid admissions in England for the week ending 31 August, bringing the total to 261 patients.
