How fast does covid spread through a family? five people in my family (inc. me) have felt like they could be coming down with something or they have allergies, but the symptoms have (so far) lasted for a day to three days. could this be covid?

If a family member in close contact were positive for COVID, the chance of other family being positive is close to 100%. Get tested with the PCR test , and if positive, your whole family needs to be quarantined for 10 days.

All members of your family should be screened for COVID-19. Watch for shortness of breath and fever. Prolonged symptoms may occur. Drink fluids, self isolate and rest. Discuss a Flu vaccine with your physician.

Agree that COVID-19 testing would be of value. Many of the new Omicron cases can present similar to allergies, with nasal symptoms, but also fatigue. These cases are dissimilar to the original and Delta forms, and may last only a few days. But have your doctor get involved here, as we are just gathering understanding of the new variant.