The first-stage symptoms are headache, body ache, sore throat, mild fever, and chills. These symptoms last for two or three days. In the second stage, there are no symptoms at all for up to a week. In the third stage, children get a bright red rash on their cheeks that looks almost like slap marks. Adults are less likely to have third-stage rashes but sometimes get swollen and painful joints, especially in the hands and feet.
Fifth disease is usually mild, and both children and adults get better without any problems.
Some people have no symptoms and never even feel sick. Other people get very sick from fifth disease, but this is rare. Fifth disease is not known to cause birth defects. However, a few women who got fifth disease while they were pregnant had miscarriages or stillbirths. Recent research suggests that the risk of problems during pregnancy is extremely low.