Coronavirus symptoms: How can I tell if I have a temperature without a thermometer?
CORONAVIRUS symptoms are known to us all by now, but what counts as a temperature? And how can you tell if you have a temperature?
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A burning temperature is a symptom of coronavirus that almost everyone with the disease will experience. Public Health England says a high temperature is one of 37.8C (100F) or above. But how can you tell if you have a fever if there is no thermometer in your house? Express.co.uk has all the information you need.
What is a fever?
A fever is a temporary increase in your body temperature, and it is one of the symptoms of coronavirus.
The official symptom is described as "a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)."
Other than feeling overwhelmingly hot, you may experience additional fever symptoms including:
- Sweating
- Chills and shivering
- Headache
- Aching muscles
- Sore eyes
- Loss of appetite
- Irritability
- Dehydration
- Swollen lymph nodes
- General weakness
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How do you know if a child has a fever?
Children may experience different symptoms from adults, including:
- Greater irritability than usual
- Lethargy
- Flushed skin
- Paleness
- Difficulty swallowing
- Refusal to eat, drink, or breastfeed
In severe cases, you may experience some unexpected symptoms, such as:
- Excessive sleepiness
- Confusion
- Convulsions
- Severe pain in other parts of the body
- Unusual vaginal discharge
- Pain during urination
- Skin rash
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
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How can you take your temperature with a thermometer?
You can use a thermometer to measure your temperature in three ways: in the mouth, in the ear, or in the rectum.
Oral thermometers are a better option for adults than babies or children, since you need to keep your mouth closed for 20 seconds and hold the thermometer in place.
A quick tip- never use the same thermometer for all three!
Make sure you purchase different thermometers and label each one for how it is used.
How can you measure your temperature without a thermometer?
Measuring your temperature without a thermometer is bound to give you a less accurate result, but it's still possible.
You can measure someone else's temperature by touch.
Touch your own skin first, and then touch their skin and compare the two temperatures.
If the other person is significantly hotter than you, they may have a fever.
How do you use a digital thermometer?
If you've got a digital thermometer lying around or managed to get your hands on one in the supermarket or pharmacy, you can measure your temperature that way.
The NHS website says, to use a digital thermometer:
- Clean the tip with cold water and soap, then rinse it.
- Turn the thermometer on.
- Put the tip under your tongue, towards the back of your mouth.
- Close your lips around the thermometer.
- Wait until it beeps or flashes.
- Check the temperature on the display