What you need to know: Symptoms of Covid-19, when to get tested

After the announcement community transmission has been confirmed in Auckland, Kiwis have been frantically searching for what the Covid-19 symptoms are.

According to Google Trends, the search term "Covid symptoms" had a spike in New Zealand since the press conference, where Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said four cases of community transmission from the same family were confirmed - after 102 days without any.

Ardern also announced Auckland will go into alert level 3 and the rest of the country will go into level 2 from midday tomorrow for three days.

This has caused Kiwis to worry about if they needed to be tested. So what are the symptoms?

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the most common symptoms:

• fever
• dry cough
• tiredness

The less common symptoms include:

• aches and pains
• sore throat
• diarrhoea
• conjunctivitis
• headache
• loss of taste or smell
• a rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes

Serious symptoms include:

• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• chest pain or pressure
• loss of speech or movement

On average it takes 5–6 days from when someone is infected with the virus for symptoms to show, however it can take up to 14 days, WHO said.

Director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has previously advised Kiwis to ask their GP or call Healthline if they have symptoms of Covid-19.

Auckland mayor Phill Goff urged Aucklanders to gest tested and avoid contact with others if they have symptoms of the virus.

Today, Bloomfield said additional testing will be available around the country due to expected increase in demand. People with any symptoms should get tested, he said, whether they are in Auckland or not.

More staff will be placed at testing centres in Auckland, Waitemata and Counties Manukau and they were prepared to test more people.

There are testing sites at Northcote, Henderson, Grafton and Wiri. There will be more pop-up testing sites.

Bloomfield said additional testing will be available around the country due to expected increase in demand. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

He said community transmission was inevitable as it was a tricky virus, and it was important now to "stamp it out".

"There are things every New Zealander needs to do."

Those included hand hygiene, coughing into your elbow, staying home if sick, and seeking advice from doctors or Healthline if you have symptoms.

He encouraged people to wear masks in places where it was hard to be physically distant.

He urged people to use the Covid tracer app.

"Finally our contact tracing team will of course be in contact with anyone who may be identified as a casual or close contact."

If contacted, please return the call, he said.

The cases were a "wake up call" against complacency.

"We have done this before and we can do it again."

Bloomfield said it was more relevant than ever to get tested if offered a test.

Ardern said the resurgence plan had been activated, based on what had happened overseas.