COVID-19
Also called: coronavirus disease 2019, coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 infection, corona
COVID-19 is an infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. It often causes fever, chills and a sore throat. Most people get better at home, but older people and those with long-term illnesses can become seriously ill. Vaccines protect against severe illness.
General health information for Pakistan. It does not give doses or brand advice. If you are worried, or symptoms are severe, see a doctor. When to see a doctor
Overview
COVID-19 is an illness caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2. It spreads through the air in tiny droplets when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes. The risk is highest in close contact and in crowded rooms with poor airflow. It can also spread from hands that have touched a contaminated surface. People can pass it on before they feel ill, or even if they never feel ill. It spreads all year round.
Symptoms usually start 3 to 6 days after contact with the virus. Most people have a mild illness and get better without special treatment. Some people, especially older adults, people who are not vaccinated, pregnant women and people with conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity or heart, lung, kidney or liver disease, can become very ill. A small number of people have symptoms that last for months, known as long COVID (post COVID-19 condition).
Care at home means rest, fluids and fever control. People at high risk can be given antiviral medicines (medicines that stop the virus multiplying), which must be started soon after symptoms begin. People who need hospital care may be given oxygen and other medicines. Antibiotics do not kill the virus. Vaccines lower the chance of severe illness, hospital care and death.
In Pakistan
Self-medication was common in Pakistan during the pandemic: in a 2021 survey in Sargodha about one in three people self-medicated, often with paracetamol, azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine, and about a quarter of medical and pharmacy students in another study had taken azithromycin. These medicines should not be used for COVID-19 without a doctor's advice.
Symptoms
- Fever and chills
- Sore throat
- A new cough that does not go away
- Severe tiredness, muscle aches and headache
- Runny or blocked nose and sneezing
- Shortness of breath or a tight chest
- Change in or loss of taste or smell
- Loss of appetite, feeling sick, being sick, tummy pain or diarrhoea
- Hoarse voice, sore eyes, dizziness or trouble sleeping
Causes and risk factors
Causes
- Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a type of coronavirus
- Breathing in tiny droplets in the air when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes
- Close contact with an infected person, or sharing an indoor space with poor airflow
- Touching a contaminated surface and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth
- Contact with someone who has no symptoms yet, as people can spread the virus before they feel ill
What makes it more likely
- Older age
- Not being vaccinated
- Long-term conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, or long-term heart, lung, liver or kidney disease
- Cancer, dementia or rheumatic (joint and immune) diseases
- A weak immune system, for example from HIV or from medicines that lower the body's defences
- Pregnancy
- Working in health or care settings, where contact with the virus is more likely
Complications
Most people recover fully. In severe illness, COVID-19 can cause respiratory failure (when the lungs cannot get enough oxygen into the blood), sepsis (a dangerous body-wide reaction to infection), blood clots, and damage to the heart, liver or kidneys, which can lead to death. Some people also catch a bacterial chest infection on top of COVID-19. In rare cases children develop a serious inflammatory illness (swelling and irritation in many parts of the body) a few weeks after the infection, which may need hospital care. About 6 in every 100 people get long COVID, with tiredness, muscle or joint pain, breathlessness, headaches and trouble thinking or concentrating. This can happen even after a mild illness and can make work and daily tasks hard.
When to see a doctor
- Severe difficulty breathing: this is an emergency
- Chest pain or pressure that does not go away
- Confusion, unusual drowsiness or fainting
- Skin that is cold, clammy, pale or bluish, including the lips
- Losing the ability to speak or move
- An older person, a pregnant woman or someone with a long-term illness or weak immune system who has COVID-19: contact a doctor early, even if symptoms are mild
- A child who becomes unwell again with fever and other symptoms a few weeks after COVID-19
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Diagnosis
Doctors often suspect COVID-19 from the symptoms, especially if there has been contact with an infected person. A rapid lateral flow test (a quick test that can be done at home) can confirm it. If the test is negative but symptoms continue, testing again over the next few days can pick up the infection. Testing quickly is most important for people at high risk, because some treatments only work if started early.
In a clinic or hospital, the doctor checks breathing and uses a pulse oximeter (a small clip on the finger) to measure the oxygen level in the blood. A low oxygen level is a sign of serious illness. These clips can sometimes show a level that is higher than the real one, which has been reported more often in people with darker skin. Doctors decide on any other tests depending on how ill the person is.
Treatment
- Most people can be looked after at home: rest, drink plenty of fluids and use paracetamol or ibuprofen for fever and aches. For cough, try not to lie flat. For mild breathlessness, keep the room cool, open a window and use slow, relaxed breathing
- Stay at home and away from others while you have symptoms, especially people at high risk; wear a well-fitting mask if you must be near others
- If you are at high risk of severe illness and test positive, contact your doctor straight away. Antiviral medicines may be offered, but they only work if started soon after symptoms begin. Your doctor decides which medicine and the dose, and checks your other medicines first
- Do not take antibiotics for COVID-19. They do not kill the virus. Your doctor may give them only if a bacterial infection, such as a bacterial pneumonia, is suspected
- Do not use ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine or azithromycin to treat COVID-19. Guidelines do not support them for this, and some can cause harmful side effects
- People who are seriously ill need hospital care. This can include oxygen, a corticosteroid (a medicine that calms inflammation) for people who need oxygen, other medicines that calm the immune system, and injections to prevent blood clots. Specialists decide on each of these
- If symptoms last for weeks or months after the infection, see your doctor for assessment and support for long COVID
Medicines in Pakistan
Medicines a doctor may use, by group. Read the role: some are only for special cases. Each link opens our page for that medicine, with every brand and its official DRAP price. Your doctor decides which medicine and dose are right for you.
| Group | Role | Medicines |
|---|---|---|
| Pain and fever relievers | ease fever, aches and sore throat while symptoms last; they do not treat the virus itself; ask your pharmacist or doctor about the right dose | Paracetamol (350 brands), Ibuprofen (378 brands) |
| Antivirals | for people at high risk of severe illness; tablet antivirals are started soon after symptoms begin, and remdesivir is given in hospital to some people at high risk; your doctor decides who needs one and which one | Remdesivir (1 brand) |
| Systemic corticosteroids | hospital treatment only for people who need oxygen; they are not used for people who do not need oxygen, as in mild illness; your doctor decides the medicine and how long to give it | Dexamethasone (40 brands), Prednisolone (37 brands) |
| Low molecular weight heparins (blood thinners) | injections given in hospital to lower the risk of blood clots in people who need oxygen or breathing support, unless they have a high risk of bleeding; specialists decide the dose | Enoxaparin (48 brands) |
| Antibiotics | not used for COVID-19 itself and not used to prevent it; given only when a doctor suspects a bacterial infection on top of COVID-19, such as a bacterial pneumonia | Chosen by your specialist |
| COVID-19 vaccines | prevention; protect against severe illness, hospital care and death; follow the advice of your national health authority and ask your doctor or local health facility | Chosen by your specialist |
Also used (not yet in our price list): Nirmatrelvir with ritonavir (a tablet antiviral for adults at high risk who do not need oxygen), Molnupiravir (a tablet antiviral; not given in pregnancy or to people under 18), Sotrovimab (a ready-made antibody, used when other options are not suitable), Tocilizumab (an immune-calming medicine given in hospital with a corticosteroid), Baricitinib (an immune-calming medicine given in hospital with a corticosteroid)
Self-care and prevention
Self-care
- Rest and drink fluids regularly
- Use paracetamol or ibuprofen for fever and aches, following your pharmacist's or doctor's advice
- Avoid lying flat if you have a cough
- Keep your room cool and well aired by opening windows and doors
- Stay home and keep away from others while you have symptoms
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your bent elbow, throw tissues away and wash your hands
- Do not buy antibiotics, ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine without a prescription to treat COVID-19
- Keep a list of all your medicines, vitamins and minerals to show the doctor, who needs it before choosing a COVID-19 medicine
Prevention
- COVID-19 vaccines are available and protect against severe illness; ask your doctor or local health facility, and follow your national health authority's advice
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub
- Open windows and doors to let fresh air into indoor spaces
- If you are at high risk, avoid crowded or poorly aired places, or wear a well-fitting mask if you cannot avoid them
- Stay home when you have symptoms or a positive test, and keep away from people at high risk
- Hydroxychloroquine does not prevent COVID-19 and should not be taken for this
Common questions
Do antibiotics help COVID-19?
No. COVID-19 is caused by a virus, and antibiotics only work against bacteria. Guidelines say antibiotics should not be used to treat or prevent COVID-19 unless a doctor suspects a bacterial infection as well.
Should I take ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19?
No. WHO does not recommend hydroxychloroquine to treat or prevent COVID-19, as large trials found it did not lower deaths and it can cause heart rhythm, kidney and liver problems. WHO and NICE advise that ivermectin should be used for COVID-19 only within research trials.
How long does COVID-19 last?
Symptoms usually begin 3 to 6 days after contact with the virus and often last up to about 10 days, though some last longer. People can spread the virus before they have symptoms. Stay away from others while you are unwell.
What is long COVID?
Long COVID (post COVID-19 condition) is when symptoms carry on after the infection has passed. Common symptoms are tiredness, muscle or joint pain, breathlessness, headaches and trouble concentrating. It can follow a mild illness too. See your doctor, who can plan care to suit you.
Is there a vaccine for COVID-19?
Yes. COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives by protecting against severe illness, hospital care and death. They do less to stop the virus spreading, so vaccinated people can still catch and pass it on. Ask your doctor or local health facility, and follow your national health authority's advice.
Sources
- WHO (fact sheet). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) (2025).
- NICE. COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing COVID-19 (NG191) (2025).
- WHO (Coronavirus Update 75). THE LATEST ON THE COVID-19 GLOBAL SITUATION & COVID-19 THERAPEUTICS (2022).
- WHO (questions and answers). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Hydroxychloroquine (n.d.).
- NHS. Treatments for COVID-19 - NHS (n.d.).
- Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease (MDPI). Factors Associated with Self-Medication during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Pakistan (2022).
- Frontiers in Public Health. Self-Medication Practices in Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Analysis (2022).
Prepared from the sources listed below by the MedInfoBase team. Last reviewed 16 October 2026. This page is general health information, not medical advice. It gives no doses and does not replace a doctor: talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write and check our pages.