COVID-19

The COVID-19 vaccine is available in Hawai’i for those 6 months old and older. The best way to protect Hawai‘i families and communities is to ensure that residents receive the COVID-19 vaccine. There are two types of COVID-19 vaccines licensed or authorized in the United States to prevent COVID-19, the mRNA vaccines and the protein subunit vaccines. Vaccine recommendations are based on age, and in some cases, time since last dose, the first vaccine received, and immune status. Regardless of vaccination status, mask wearing, and staying home while sick remain critical tools against the virus. Learn more on our Vaccine FAQ page.

People with COVID-19 have reported a wide range of symptoms – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms can appear 2-14 days after exposure. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• 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

In addition, a significant percentage of infected people are asymptomatic – or have no symptoms.

Testing

Key Recommendations:

1. Assess Your Risk: People can be at high risk for many reasons. Some of the most common are being older than 50 years, obesity, having chronic medical conditions such as heart, lung or kidney disease, being on treatment that suppresses your immune system, or pregnancy. To find a full list of factors that may put someone at high risk, visit People with Certain Medical Conditions and COVID-19 Risk Factors | COVID-19 | CDC. If unsure, consult your primary care provider (PCP).
2. COVID-19: Check local COVID-19 case rates on HDOH’s Respiratory Viruses | Disease Outbreak Control Division (hawaii.gov). Testing is a tool that can be used at any time but may be particularly useful when COVID-19 activity is high in your community.
3. Who Should Test:
   • Symptomatic individuals at high risk should test and seek prompt treatment if positive. Treatment is most effective if started within the first few days of symptoms. Visit https://www.cdc.gov/covid/treatment/ for more information.
   • People who have close contact with individuals at high risk can test if they develop symptoms, or when exposed, to help guide prevention measures. If positive, measures to avoid spreading germs to those at risk include: avoid contact, wear a well-fitting mask, distance, increase ventilation, practice good hand hygiene. If negative but not feeling well, you can still take these measures to avoid spreading non-COVID viral illness!

If you initially test negative with a COVID-19 self-test kit, consider retesting within 24-48 hours. Persistent symptoms despite negative tests may require evaluation for other respiratory illnesses like influenza or RSV. Seek medical attention promptly if symptoms worsen.

If you are experiencing mild symptoms, are not at high risk, and do not anticipate interacting with high-risk groups, testing may not be necessary. If feeling unwell, stay home and wear a well-fitting mask if you need to be around others, continuing precautions for at least five days post-symptom onset.

COVID-19 self-test kits are generally available over-the-counter, although availability may vary. Contact your local pharmacy for current stock information.

For more detailed information on high-risk groups, testing criteria, and local testing sites, please visit the DOH Respiratory Viruses webpage here.

Like many other respiratory viruses, coronaviruses spread through droplets that you project out of your mouth or nose when you breathe, cough, sneeze, or speak.

As genetic changes to the virus happen over time, the SARS-CoV-2 virus begins to form genetic lineages, like a family tree. Scientists call the viruses with these changes “variants.” Variants such as the Delta variant and Omicron variant are still SARS-CoV-2 but may act differently. Differences in variants can also include how fast the virus spreads, the severity of illness it causes, or the effectiveness of treatments against it.

If you have cold or flu symptoms and are at higher risk for severe disease, knowing what illness you have can help get you the right treatment. Your provider can order a test for COVID-19 or home self-test kits can be purchased at many pharmacies. No-cost COVID-19 testing for individuals without insurance can be found here: No-Cost COVID-19 Testing​ | CDC

If you have COVID-19, there are a variety of treatments that can help prevent you from becoming severely ill. These medications require a prescription from a provider and should be started as soon as possible.

Antiviral treatments

These medications target specific parts of the COVID-19 virus and can help reduce its multiplication and spread through the body.

Other treatments

Other treatments for hospitalized patients include intravenous medications to treat the virus, reduce an overactive immune response, treat complications of COVID-19, and convalescent plasma.

More information on COVID-19 treatments can be found here: COVID-19 Treatments and Medications | CDC