What should you know about feeling hot without a fever and COVID-19?

A warm face or flushed skin is not the same as a raised core temperature. COVID-19 may present with cough, sore throat, tiredness, headache, muscle aches, a blocked nose or changes in taste or smell, although symptoms vary. Common Cold and Acute Bronchitis can produce overlapping respiratory symptoms. A skin rash, painful red area or breathing symptoms may point toward a different problem, so warmth alone cannot identify the cause.

Check your temperature with a working thermometer after resting, and record the reading alongside your symptoms. Rest, drink fluids and avoid close contact with vulnerable people while you feel unwell. Follow current local testing and isolation advice if COVID-19 is possible, especially after a relevant exposure or new respiratory symptoms. Do not use antibiotics unless a clinician prescribes them for a bacterial illness.

Get urgent medical help for difficulty breathing, chest pain or pressure, blue or grey lips, severe drowsiness, confusion, fainting or inability to keep fluids down. Contact a clinician promptly if symptoms are worsening, a fever develops, or you have a condition or treatment that weakens your immune system. Seek advice for a painful spreading skin redness or swelling, which needs separate assessment.

Ask whether testing is appropriate, how to monitor your symptoms, which medicines are suitable for you, and when you should return for review.