COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, is a very contagious viral disease.

Symptoms

COVID-19 symptoms may include cough, headache, sore throat, fever, chills, muscle or body aches, congestion or runny nose, fatigue, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, and new loss of taste or smell. Other less common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. COVID-19 may affect other parts of your body. Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some people become severely ill.

Some people develop Long COVID, which can last for months or longer. Long COVID symptoms can range from mild to severe and disabling; symptoms can include extreme fatigue, brain fog, cough and chest pains, loss of smell or taste, feeling feverish, and more.

If you have respiratory virus symptoms, take actions to protect yourself and others.

Transmission

Anyone infected with COVID-19 can spread it to others, even without symptoms. Like other respiratory viruses, COVID-19 is transmitted through the air when an infected person talks, coughs, or sneezes, and the virus enters the eyes, nose, or mouth.

Prevention

The best way to prevent severe illness from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.

You can take prevention steps at any time to reduce your risk of getting or spreading COVID-19:

Improve air flow and filtration (PDF)

Wear a mask

Wash hands often with soap and water

Cover coughs and sneezes

Clean frequently touched surfaces (PDF)

You can also take additional prevention steps:

Test yourself for COVID-19
Practice physical distancing, such as avoiding people with respiratory virus symptoms or crowded areas where you can’t maintain physical distance

You can choose to take prevention steps to reduce your risk of getting or spreading COVID-19 at any time. They are especially helpful if:

You are sick with a respiratory virus
You were exposed to a respiratory virus
Respiratory viruses are currently causing a lot of illness in your community
You or the people around you have risk factors for severe illness
You want to avoid getting sick because of a special circumstance, such as before and during travel, holidays, or before or during visits with family who have risk factors for severe illness

These are useful tools to prevent COVID-19 in the community and non-health-care settings. Guidance for health care settings and long-term care facilities can be found at Respiratory Virus Infection Prevention in Health Care Settings.

COVID-19 Activity in Washington

View information about COVID-19, influenza (seasonal flu), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity on the Respiratory Illness Data Dashboard. This can help you understand community spread to decide whether to take steps to reduce your risk of getting COVID-19.

Additional Information

Last Updated 8/26/2026