Is Sore Throat a Sign of Coronavirus?

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, also known as the coronavirus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the symptoms that develop with COVID-19 can vary. Could a sore throat be a sign of coronavirus?

Common Symptoms

Those with COVID-19 may have a wide range of symptoms. These symptoms may appear two-14 days after exposure to the virus. They may include:

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

A sore throat can be one symptom of COVID-19, although it isn’t known when exactly this symptom will occur. In other respiratory illnesses, a sore throat is often an early symptom. Since this type of virus is inhaled, it enters your nose and throat first.

Overall, a sore throat isn’t a very common COVID-19 symptom. A study in China, commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO), found that out of more than 55,000 confirmed cases, only 13.9 percent of people reported a sore throat.

If you develop a sore throat or other symptoms of a respiratory infection, rule out COVID-19 by being tested for it.

The information in this blog post is accurate at the time of publication. However, as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to change, it's possible that information has changed since being published. While Ochsner Health is trying to keep our blog posts as up-to-date as possible, we also encourage readers to stay informed on news and recommendations by using the CDC website.