Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath, and may appear within two to 14 days after being exposed to the virus.
Another early symptom that people should watch for are gastrointestinal issues, according to a study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
The study, which was conducted by Chinese researchers, looked at data from 204 coronavirus patients in China's Hubei province, and found that 99 of them presented with "one or more digestive symptoms as their chief complaint."
The symptoms included diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
But should any of these symptoms develop, there are steps you should take to protect yourself and others before heading to the doctor or emergency room that will also help protect the nation’s health care systems, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says.
“In parts of the country, the health care system is already stressed to the breaking point,” Dr. Jay Butler, CDC’s deputy director for infectious diseases, said in a Webinar on Wednesday.