COVID fever: how long should you expect it?

COVID fever reflects an immune response and may fluctuate during the illness. Temperature can fall before cough or fatigue improves, while a new rise can signal that the illness is changing. A thermometer reading is useful, but it should be considered with breathing, hydration, alertness, and activity tolerance.

Fever is not unique to COVID-19. Other respiratory or skin infections may produce it, and testing plus an examination may be needed when symptoms do not fit a straightforward viral illness.

Drink little and often, rest, and avoid overheating under heavy bedding. Follow instructions for any paracetamol or other recommended medicine, taking account of your existing conditions and other products. Do not give a child medicine unless the dose and formulation are appropriate for that child.

Follow current public-health advice about staying away from others when unwell. If you are in a higher-risk group, seek clinical advice early rather than waiting for fever to resolve. Write down when symptoms began, how they changed, and any test result available.

Call emergency services for major breathing difficulty, severe chest pain, blue or grey lips, collapse, new confusion, or inability to wake. Contact a clinician promptly for fever that persists or comes back, worsening breathlessness, inability to drink, repeated vomiting, or unusual drowsiness.

Early advice is particularly important for pregnant people, young infants, older adults, and people with immune suppression or serious long-term conditions. A clinician may also consider conditions such as Croup or Chickenpox when symptoms are different from typical COVID features.

Ask how to measure and record temperature, whether your medicines are suitable, whether you need an assessment or test, and which symptoms mean you should seek help immediately.