COVID-19 Symptoms, Treatments and Risk Factors

COVID-19 Symptoms

If you have one or more these symptoms, you may have COVID-19:

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

Please note: This list of COVID-19 symptoms may not mention all possible symptoms, especially the ones caused by new variants.

Typically, symptoms appear within 2 to 14 days after you are exposed to the virus. You may have no symptoms at all but can still spread it. This is called asymptomatic transmission.

If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, the first thing to do is get in contact with your primary care provider. Your provider will discuss your situation and help determine if you should get tested for COVID-19 and where to get tested.

Medical Emergency

If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms or a life-threatening emergency, please call 911:

• Difficulty breathing
• Pressure in the chest
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray or blue-colored skin, lips or face

Testing for COVID-19

University Health does not have a free COVID-19 testing facility, but we do offer testing at our ExpressMed walk-in care clinics.

Find a COVID-19 Testing Location in San Antonio

If you don’t have any COVID-19 symptoms but would like to be tested, the City of San Antonio maintains a list of both free and fee-based testing sites in the San Antonio area.

COVID-19 Treatment

University Health offers COVID-19 treatments based on the most recent evidence-based guidelines. Our experts recommend an oral medication called Paxlovid for appropriate outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19.

Inpatient COVID-19 Treatment

Physicians at University Health were among the first in the country to test remdesivir, a drug that proved effective in treating COVID-19. Our remdesivir clinical trial was the largest in the world. Our clinical trial, which combined remdesivir and the drug baricitinib, was the largest in the world. Remdesivir and steroids are treatments used for inpatient care. 

COVID-19 Risk Factors

A few health conditions that increase your risk include:

• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Heart, lung, liver or kidney disease
• Pregnancy
• Weak immune system (immunocompromised)

Older adults are at a higher risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19. That risk increases with age.

Protect Yourself and Others from COVID-19

The best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 is by getting vaccinated if you are eligible and washing your hands frequently.