Does MERS coronavirus infection cause fever?

MERS can cause fever along with respiratory symptoms such as cough or breathing difficulty, and some people may become generally unwell. Fever also occurs with many other infections and non-infectious illnesses, so its presence does not identify MERS. A clinician considers symptoms, timing, travel or healthcare exposure, contact with camels or infected people, and relevant medical history. Testing and infection-control advice may be needed when MERS is a concern. Learn more about the symptom on [Fever](/symptoms/fever/).

Check your temperature with a reliable thermometer and record when it began, together with cough, breathing changes, diarrhoea or worsening tiredness. Drink fluids if you can, rest, and use fever medicine only as directed and when suitable for you. If MERS exposure is possible, contact a healthcare service before attending in person so staff can advise on precautions and assessment. Avoid close contact with vulnerable people until you have received guidance.

Seek urgent medical care for difficulty breathing, blue or grey lips, confusion, fainting, severe weakness, inability to keep fluids down or rapidly worsening illness. Contact a clinician promptly for fever after a relevant exposure, particularly if respiratory symptoms appear. Emergency symptoms should be treated as urgent regardless of the suspected cause.

Could my symptoms require testing? What exposure details should I report? How should I monitor my breathing and temperature? Should I isolate from household members while this is assessed?