Coronavirus (COVID-19)
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What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is the respiratory illness that can arise from exposure to the “novel coronavirus” or SARS-CoV-2, first reported in 2019. COVID-19 symptoms may appear in 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
The virus spreads through small droplets in the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or breathes too closely to another person. It can also spread on surfaces, although this is less common.
Symptoms of COVID-19
The virus may cause symptoms such as:
- Temperature of 100 °F (37.8 °C) or higher
- Chills
- Severe muscle or body aches
- Severe fatigue
- Severe headache
- Congestion or runny nose (not due to allergies)
- Sore throat (not due to allergies)
- Loss of taste or smell
- Loss of appetite
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
UR Medicine's Approach
If you have symptoms, contact your primary care provider. To search for locations where you can get vaccinated, you can visit the national CDC website.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the first updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters in Fall 2022, which targeted Omicron subvariant BA.4/BA.5 and can help keep you protected. When available, we will provide updates on a new, updated booster to provide better protection against the most recent XBB Omicron subvariants.
You can visit our COVID-19 summary page for more information, or our vaccine information page for detailed information about boosters, vaccine safety, and more.
As an alternative to in-person visits, to help keep patients safe and healthy, we increased access to on-demand video visits and telemedicine visits.
What Sets Us Apart?
UR Medicine has served as a leader in the Rochester area in connecting the community with the latest information about COVID-19. Our researchers staff the UR Vaccine Treatment and Evaluation Unit (VTEU)—one of only 10 VTEUs in the nation—which conducts clinical trials for the National Institutes of Health to bring you the latest vaccines and treatments for COVID-19.
Teams throughout UR Medicine worked closely with leaders from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as local and state health officials to monitor and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our team continues to coordinate and steer the research response while working to keep our local community healthy, involved, and informed.
Providers
Patient Education & Support
Visit our Coronavirus Information Website for the latest updates on vaccines, testing, and hospital policies.
Clinical Trials
Our researchers need people of all ages to join COVID-19 research studies. You can be part of important studies to help keep us all healthy.
Join a COVID-19 Study