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COVID-19

What is COVID-19?
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In most cases, the virus causes mild to moderate respiratory symptoms that can feel like a cold, the flu or pneumonia. Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some people become severely ill. Older people and those with underlying medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease or cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.  

How does the virus spread?
The virus is primarily spread through exposure to small particles and droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks, sings or breathes. Other people can become sick when they breathe in these droplets and particles, or when these droplets and particles land on others' eyes, nose or mouth. Though less common, people can be infected through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects (fomites).  

People infected with COVID-19 can spread it even if they do not have any symptoms.  

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
People with COVID-19 can experience a wide range of symptoms. Symptoms may also change with new COVID-19 variants and can vary depending on vaccination status.  

Possible symptoms include:

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Loss of taste or smell
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • Nausea or vomiting 

Symptoms may appear 2–14 days after exposure to the virus. 

What should I do if I suspect I have COVID-19?
As a general rule of thumb, if you have a fever, cough, vomiting, diarrhea or fatigue, you should stay home. This will allow your body to heal and protect your colleagues and students. 

Your next step should be to test yourself for COVID-19. Having COVID-19 can feel like a cold, the flu, RSV or pneumonia, so staying home and testing for COVID-19 should be your first step, and it will help you decide what to do next.  

The NYC Health Department offers free PCR testing at COVID-19 Express Testing locations. 

Private insurance may no longer reimburse you when you purchase at-home test kits in your local pharmacies. However, you may be able to order free at-home test kits from the COVIDTests.gov federal program. In addition, your school may still have at-home test kits, but supplies are limited.  

Many at-home COVID-19 tests have extended expiration dates. If you think your COVID-19 test may have expired, check the FDA’s website for information on authorized at-home test diagnostic tests and expiration dates. 

What should I do if I have COVID-19?
Isolate right away if you have symptoms.  Stay home until you have no fever for 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medicine and other COVID-19 symptoms are getting better. Take steps to protect others in your household, including wearing a well-fitting mask, staying in a separate room as much as possible, increasing ventilation and following good hand hygiene. 

Antiviral medications used to treat COVID-19, such as Paxlovid, must be prescribed by a health care provider. You will need to start the antiviral medication regimen within five to seven days after symptoms appear. If your provider decides treatment can help you, they may prescribe oral antivirals for five days. 

If you don’t have a health care provider, COVID-19 treatments are available.

If you have a medical emergency, such as having trouble breathing, call 911 or go to a hospital. 

How can COVID-19 be prevented?
There are several core prevention strategies to protect yourself and others from COVID-19:

  • Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. Although vaccinated people sometimes get infected with COVID-19, staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines significantly lowers the risk of getting very sick, being hospitalized or dying from COVID-19.
  • Practice good respiratory etiquette, for example by coughing into a flexed elbow, and stay home and self-isolate until you recover.
  • Masks are still effective tools to reduce the risk of spreading or being exposed to COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses. Masks protect you and others by reducing the amount of droplets that enter the air when someone coughs, sneezes, talks, sings or breathes. Consider wearing a mask in crowded indoor public settings and/or if you are at high risk for severe COVID-19 or are around others who are.
  • Take steps to improve ventilation. This can mean bringing in fresh outside air, purifying indoor air or gathering outdoors. In your classrooms, this may mean:
  • Opening windows when it is safe to do so. Consider the weather conditions and outdoor air quality. In modern buildings with a central heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVAC), you can rely on these systems to provide filtered fresh air instead of opening a window. 
  • Utilizing air purifiers provided to each classroom.
  • Stay home when you are sick if you have respiratory symptoms. 

Additional resources on COVID-19