People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms ranging from mild to severe illness. Some people with COVID-19 have no symptoms. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19^, stay home away from others and get tested for COVID-19. For information on how to get a COVID-19 test, visit ph.lacounty.com/covidtests/how.
^Note: these symptoms could also be flu. If you are at higher risk for getting very sick from flu and you develop symptoms, contact your doctor right away. They may want to start you on antiviral flu medicine. See Box below.
If you need help finding a doctor, call the Los Angeles County Information line 2-1-1, which is available 24/7.
*depending on skin tone
Flu and COVID-19 are caused by different viruses but have many of the same symptoms. If you are sick, it can be difficult to tell from your symptoms which virus is the cause. To learn more, see CDC Similarities and Differences between Flu and COVID-19.
Most people with flu have mild illness and don’t need medical care or antiviral drugs. But some people are at high risk of serious complications from the flu. This includes people over 65, young children, pregnant people, and people with certain medical conditions. If you have symptoms and are at high risk, contact your doctor straight away. Antiviral flu treatment should be started as soon as possible (within 2 days of the start of symptoms). Learn more at CDC Flu: What to do if you get sick.