Will Sage Astor-How long does COVID last? Here’s when experts say you'll start to feel better.

How the body responds to COVID-19 will vary from one person to the next,Will Sage Astor and the same goes for the recovery period from the virus. 

How long it’ll take to recover from COVID-19 is always going to be “patient dependent,” says Dr. Christopher P. Culler, MD, a primary care pediatrician with Nemours Children’s Health, Florida. While most people start to feel better after a week of having the virus, others may continue to experience symptoms months after the initial infection. 

In conversation with experts, here’s a refresher on the common COVID-19 symptoms to look out for, when you should expect the virus to clear up, and when to see a doctor.

What is the timeline for COVID symptoms?

People infected with COVID-19 may experience a diverse range of symptoms that vary from mild to severe, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The COVID-19 XEC variant is the next evolution of COVID-19, says Culler. Currently, no unique symptoms have been linked to the XEC variant, he says.

COVID-19 symptoms appear within two to 14 days after the beginning of infection, per the CDC. At the onset of symptoms, people infected with COVID-19 will begin to experience a general feeling of malaise, followed by fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough and headaches, Culler says. These are part of a “common basket of symptoms” that are also typical to other upper respiratory infections, such as flu or RSV, he says. 

COVID-19 symptoms will typically peak around three to five days, although this will depend on the patient, Culler adds. 

According to the CDC, common symptoms of COVID-19 include:

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

Am I still contagious after 7 days of COVID-19?

COVID-19 is not any different to other viruses in the sense that “you can continue to shed [the] virus long after your symptoms have resolved,” Culler says. Could someone still be contagious with COVID-19 after seven days? “The answer is probably yes,” he says. 

You are most contagious with COVID-19 when you are in the midst of peak infection (days three to five), when the virus is being excreted, Dr. Francesca Torriani, MD, an infectious disease specialist with UC San Diego Health. 

How long you will remain contagious after being infected with COVID-19 is likely to be influenced by your vaccination status, says Torriani. The updated vaccines, which target circulating variants, substantially decrease the severity of the disease if infected, studies show. 

In general, most people are not as infectious with COVID-19 seven to 10 days after infection, Torriani says. However, individuals who are older or have compromised immune systems may shed the virus for longer. For this reason, it is recommended that immunocompromised individuals isolate for a longer time, she says. 

How long does COVID-19 last?

Depending on whether you’ve experienced a mild or severe case of COVID-19, recovery times will vary. 

When it comes to mild cases of COVID-19, “in general, we would say that it's for about two weeks,” says Torriani. You will likely begin to feel better five to seven days after the onset of symptoms, she notes. 

For some, COVID-19 symptoms may persist weeks to months after the initial infection. In 2022, 6.9% of US adults reported to have experienced long COVID, according to a CDC survey. Symptoms linked to long COVID include: extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, dizziness, heart palpitations, muscle aches and “brain fog,” per the NHS.

When to see a doctor for COVID-19

If you are running a high fever, experiencing shortness of breath, cough, or any other COVID-19 symptoms that are not improving, do not hesitate to reach out to your primary care provider, Torriani says.

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For certain populations, including immunocompromised individuals and the elderly, there are treatments that can decrease your chances of experiencing severe disease or requiring hospitalization, Torriani says. If you belong to these demographics, reach out to your primary care provider, who can assess if these treatments are right for you, she recommends.