Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for the signs and symptoms as COVID-19.

Read the CDC’s guidance on staying up-to-date with your COVID-19 vaccines, how to protect yourself and others, and getting your COVID vaccine.

Read more about how to get vaccinated in Philadelphia.

Most people who have had COVID-19 get better just by resting, drinking fluids, and taking fever-reducing medicine.

If you are at high risk for severe disease (are overweight, have other medical conditions, or are over 50–with increasing risk as you get older), contact your healthcare provider immediately after you test positive. Treatments must start in the first few days of illness to help you get well.

• Oral antiviral medications (such as Paxlovid) target specific parts of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and can help reduce its spread through a person’s body. They have been shown to significantly reduce the chance of developing severe COVID. Read more about types of COVID-19 treatment.
• Call your healthcare provider to discuss if oral antivirals could help you.
• For healthcare providers, review the Health Advisory on Ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid) for Non-hospitalized Adults from March 7, 2024 (PDF).
• If you have trouble breathing, worsening cough, chest pain or pressure, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, or bluish lips or face, call 911 or go to the emergency department immediately.

Review the symptoms of COVID-19. If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or another respiratory illness that aren’t better explained by another cause, stay home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick).

• Stay in a separate room and use your own bathroom if available.
• Wear a face mask when around other people.
• Remember to wash your hands often.

You can go back to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours:

• Your symptoms are getting better overall AND
• You are fever-free without fever reducing medicine.

When you return to your normal activities, take added precautions for the next 5 days.

• Added precautions include steps for cleaner air, hygiene (washing hands frequently and cleaning commonly touched surfaces), masking, physical distancing, and testing before meeting others indoors.
• Visit the CDC website to review respiratory virus guidance.
• Seek health care promptly for testing and/or treatment if you have risk factors for severe illness to help lower your risk.
• Find out how to get tested in Philadelphia.
• Read the CDC’s complete respiratory illness guidance.

People who have had COVID-19 will have some short-term immunity to the virus, but those who had COVID-19 can become re-infected.

If you’ve recovered from a previous COVID-19 illness but develop new COVID-19 symptoms, you should isolate and test immediately with a rapid antigen test. You should test even if it’s been less than 90 days since your previous illness.

Learn more about the benefits of getting vaccinated.

People with serious underlying health problems are more likely to develop severe COVID-19. If you develop new symptoms, you should always consult with your personal physician or provider about types of treatment for people with underlying health problems. See the question above (How do you treat COVID-19?) for more information.

Yes. Contact tracing is still used to stop the spread of COVID-19, especially among people who:

• Are part of a COVID-19 outbreak, especially if you are in a higher-risk setting.
• Live in certain high-risk-settings.

The Department of Public Health mostly uses contact tracing to investigate disease outbreaks. It does not conduct routine investigations of individual COVID-19 cases.

If the Department of Public Health contacts you, please answer or return these calls, texts, or emails. They are not spam. All responses are completely voluntary and are kept confidential.

Questions? Call (215) 685-5488 or email covid@phila.gov.

Masks and COVID-19 vaccination are not required in schools. However, some schools may require masks when students and staff return after having a COVID-19 infection or exposure as recommended by the CDC. Schools can also choose to have stricter mask policies.

We recommend that children 6 months and older get all their recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses. Free vaccination is available at many locations in Philadelphia.

Yes, children 6 months and older can get the COVID-19 vaccine. Health experts, including the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend that children get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible.

For more information, see Six Things to Know about COVID-19 Vaccination for Children and The Science Behind COVID-19 Vaccines: Parent FAQs.

Children 3 years and older can get vaccines at many pharmacies. Children 18 months and older can get vaccinated at retail care clinics. Children 6 months and older can get vaccinated at health centers or their pediatrician’s office. Before going, call ahead to make sure the location has the vaccine available.

Visit phila.gov/vaccine and vaccines.gov for a location near you.

Most children with COVID-19 get better with rest, fluids, and fever-reducing medicine.

If your child has trouble breathing, worsening cough, chest pain or pressure, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, or bluish lips or face, call 911 or go to the Emergency Department immediately.

For children 28 days or older who have COVID-19 and are at risk for progressing to severe disease or hospitalized, various treatment options are available. Discuss these options with your pediatrician.

The vaccine can cause your lymph nodes to swell for a few days to weeks, which is a normal response. This shows your body is building protection against COVID-19. This swelling is NOT a sign of cancer. However, this swelling could cause a false reading on a mammogram and make your test result look abnormal. To avoid this, you should make sure the doctor and scheduler know when you received your COVID-19 vaccine. If your doctor is ordering a mammogram because you have breast cancer or a previous screening was abnormal, you should not delay your mammogram. Just let your doctor know when you received your COVID-19 vaccine.

Yes. The vaccine is recommended for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future. There is no evidence that any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause women or men any problems with getting pregnant now or in the future.

Pregnant people have a higher chance of getting very sick from COVID-19 compared to non-pregnant people. This is because of changes in their respiratory and immune systems that happen during pregnancy. Pregnant people also have a higher chance of complications that can affect their pregnancy and developing baby, including preterm birth or stillbirth. Getting vaccinated during pregnancy also helps protect babies younger than 6 months old from getting very sick from COVID-19 since they can’t get vaccinated until they are 6 months or older.

Find more information, see the CDC’s frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination and the question, “If I am pregnant or planning to become pregnant, can I get a COVID-19 vaccine?”

Check phila.gov/vaccine and vaccines.gov for a location near you.

Getting COVID-19 while pregnant can increase the risk of delivering a preterm (earlier than 37 weeks) or stillborn infant. Babies born to women who had COVID-19 during pregnancy have an increased risk of being admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Getting vaccinated before or during pregnancy can help protect the growing fetus. It will also help protect babies younger than 6 months old from getting very sick from COVID-19 since they can’t get vaccinated until they are 6 months or older.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccination for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Yes. Babies born to people who had COVID-19 during pregnancy are more likely to be born early, be stillborn, or need advanced intensive care in the hospital.

Getting vaccinated is the best way to avoid these problems. The vaccine is recommended for anyone 6 months and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccination for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

COVID-19 does not pass through breast milk, so it won’t infect your baby. You can keep breastfeeding or chestfeeding your baby even if you have COVID-19. Just take precautions like wearing a mask, washing your hands often, sterilizing pumping equipment, and improving air circulation in the room.

It’s also safe to get the COVID-19 vaccine while pregnant, breastfeeding, or chestfeeding. People who do so have antibodies in their milk, which can help protect their babies. This is especially important for babies under 6 months old, who are too young to get the vaccine.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccination for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Masking is an important tool to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses. You may decide to wear a mask or respirator (like an N95 or KN95) when you are indoors in public settings. Some instances where you may want to wear a mask include:

• Any time you or a family member are going to be around people more vulnerable to COVID-19, such as the elderly or those with health risks.
• In highly trafficked areas or poorly ventilated spaces, especially when there are high levels of respiratory disease in the community. For more information see the CDC’s Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel.
• Some health care providers or businesses may require you to mask. See Vaccination and Masking Requirements for Healthcare Workers.

Masks and vaccination for COVID-19 are not required in schools. However, some schools may require masks when students and staff return after having a COVID-19 infection or exposure as recommended by the CDC. Schools may set their own, more restrictive, mask policies.

Many hospitals continue to require masks in certain areas with vulnerable populations or during illness surges. Other businesses or schools may require masking after testing positive.

People who have COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 infection or another respiratory illness can return to work when, for 24 hours, the following are true:

• Their symptoms are getting better overall AND
• They are fever-free without fever-reducing medicine.

When you return to your normal activities, take these added precautions for the next 5 days:

• Increase ventilation for cleaner air.
• Hygiene (washing hands frequently and cleaning commonly touched surfaces).
• Masking.
• Physical distancing.
• Testing before meeting others indoors.

The more precautions you follow, the better.

For more information, see the CDC’s complete respiratory illness guidance.

Testing is a valuable prevention tool that helps you make decisions about how to protect yourself and others. However, sometimes testing, especially repeat testing, is not always available to everyone. If you’re able to test, please test.

• Our neighborhood resource hubs give away free at-home test kits. Visit our testing event calendar for more information.
• If you have risk factors for severe illness, seek health care as soon as possible for testing and/or treatment to help lower your risk.
• If you have just recovered from a respiratory illness and will be seeing people indoors, take added precautions for the next 5 days:
  • Take steps for cleaner air. Open windows, turn on fans, use central A/C or HEPA filters, or gather outdoors.
  • Practice good hygiene. Cover your coughs and sneezes, wash or sanitize your hands often, clean frequently touched surfaces.
  • Mask when around others. Physically distance from people with risk factors for severe illness.
  • Test before meeting others indoors, especially if they have risk factors. This is especially important when visiting those who are at increased risk of severe disease, such as those who are immunocompromised or are older than age 65.

For more information, see the CDC’s complete respiratory illness guidance.

If you think you should be tested for COVID-19, use our testing sites map and events calendar to find locations, contact information, and other requirements for testing sites in Philadelphia.

Pick up free rapid antigen home test kits at Health Department resource hubs.

You can go back to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours:

• Your symptoms are getting better overall and
• You are fever-free without fever-reducing medicine.

For more informtion, see the CDC’s complete respiratory illness guidance.

We recommend following three core prevention strategies:

• Stay up to date with vaccinations for COVID, flu, and RSV (if eligible) to protect against serious illness, hospitalization, and death.
• Practice good hygiene. Cover coughs and sneezes, wash or sanitize hands often, and clean frequently touched surfaces.
• Take steps for cleaner air. Bring in more fresh outside air, purify indoor air, or meet people outdoors.

You can also follow additional prevention strategies, like:

• Masking. The best mask for you is the most protective mask you can wear correctly and consistently.
• Physically distancing. There is no single number that defines a “safe” distance, since spread of viruses can depend on many factors. The closer you are to someone with a respiratory virus, the more likely you are to catch it. Avoid being near someone who has symptoms.
• Testing. Testing can help you decide what to do next and help you make prevention or treatment choices, especially if you’re at high risk for severe illness.

In general, the more prevention strategies you follow, the better protected you and others around you will be from getting sick from a respiratory virus.

See above: What should you do if you think you have COVID-19?

See: What to do if an employee has symptoms of COVID-19, flu, or RSV.

Most people with breathing problems and asthma are able to wear masks comfortably to protect themselves at times of high risk. These individuals are at higher risk from severe outcomes from COVID-19 infection and should wear masks in times of high risk. Someone who is actively having trouble breathing such as an asthma attack should take off their face mask and use their asthma medication or get medical attention if needed.

Vaccines are a core prevention strategy to keep us, our loved ones, and our community safe from disease.

For more information, see CDC Newsroom: COVID-19 vaccines continue to protect against hospitalization and death among adults.

Learn everything you need to know about dosing and staying up to date with your vaccines.

People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised have specific recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.

Read about how COVID-19 vaccines work.

COVID-19 vaccines are part of the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program and continue to be free for all children up to age 18.

Free updated COVID-19 vaccines are available to most adults living in the U.S. through their private health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid plans. However, there are 25-30 million adults without health insurance and additional adults whose insurance does not cover all COVID-19 vaccine costs.

Check your health insurance plan for coverage details to see if your plan covers a COVID-19 vaccine without cost-sharing at an in-network provider.

Vaccine will be available for adults without insurance in Philadelphia. Visit Get your COVID-19 vaccine for updates.

Yes. Children six months and older can get the vaccine. We recommend getting your child vaccinated. Children under five are the third most hospitalized age group for COVID-19 after older adults.

See above: Can young children get the COVID-19 vaccine? (under Children and Families).

Yes, it is recommended that you be vaccinated even if you have had COVID-19. antibodies in your blood.

You can get vaccinated when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:

• Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
• You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).

Even if you already have had COVID-19, you can get it again, and some studies show worse outcomes with repeat infections. Getting vaccinated may also help protect against long COVID.

No vaccine can protect 100% against infection. For most people who received an updated vaccine, there is good protection against severe disease. Since updated vaccines more closely match circulating variants, the current recommendation is for everyone to receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine every fall. Older adults should also receive a second dose in the spring. The Department of Public Health recommends everyone receive all vaccines for which they are eligible.

Read more guidance from the CDC about how to stay up to date with vaccines.

Read about the CDC’s safety testing and monitoring of the vaccine.

See question above: How does safety testing for vaccines work and how do we know the vaccine is safe?

No. There is no living COVID-19 virus in the vaccines now available, and it will not give you COVID-19 infection. Receiving the vaccine, however, will greatly reduce your chances of getting very sick or dying from COVID-19 in the future.

Learn more about myths and facts about COVID-19 vaccines.

Most side effects from the vaccine are temporary and well tolerated. Read information from the CDC about possible side effects and helpful tips to treat them.

If you’ve lost your COVID-19 vaccination record card, please see how to request your immunization record.

If you have further questions, call the Department of Public Health at (215) 685-5488 or publichealthinfo@phila.gov.

COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory for Philadelphia residents. If you have concerns about receiving the vaccine, discuss them with your healthcare provider.

Healthcare workers must be vaccinated. For more information, see Vaccination and Masking Requirements for Healthcare Workers.

The Department of Public Health tracks the number of COVID-19 vaccines that are given in Philadelphia. To download this vaccine data, visit our OpenDataPhilly page.

For historical data, visit our archived COVID-19 data and documents page.

Visit the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for more information about COVID-19 vaccines.