The Covid-19 virus is a member of the coronavirus family that made the jump from animals to humans in late 2019 and can affect your lungs and airways. NHS advice is to stay at home if you have either: A high temperature (this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature) A new, continuous cough (defined as coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)