Message from Penny Short, Emergency Resilience Co-Ordinator:
You will have heard of course about COVID-19 which is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways and it is caused by a virus called coronavirus. At this point there is no need to worry but sensible precautions can be taken to reduce the risk of any infections. The NHS have published some information to help people understand this virus and important points are included below.
Advice from NHS regarding Coronavirus (COVID-10) – Published 2 March 2020
Use the 111 coronavirus service
Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital if you think you may have this virus. Call 111 if you need to speak to someone.
Getting help in Scotland: call your GP surgery or call 111 if your surgery is not open
What’s the risk of coronavirus in the UK?
The UK Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk to the public from low to moderate.
Health professionals are working to contact anyone who has been in close contact with people who have coronavirus.
What’s the risk of coronavirus for travellers?
There are some countries and areas where there’s a higher chance of coming into contact with someone with coronavirus.
See our coronavirus advice for travellers.
Symptoms of coronavirus
The symptoms of coronavirus are:
a cough
a high temperature
shortness of breath
But these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have the illness. The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu.
How coronavirus is spread
Because it’s a new illness, we do not know exactly how coronavirus spreads from person to person. Similar viruses are spread in cough droplets.
It’s very unlikely it can be spread through things like packages or food. Viruses like coronavirus cannot live outside the body for very long.
Do I need to avoid public places?
Most people can continue to go to work, school and other public places. You only need to stay away from public places (self-isolate) if advised to by the 111 online coronavirus service or a medical professional.
How to avoid catching or spreading germs
There are things you can do to help stop viruses like coronavirus spreading.
Do
cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
put used tissues in the bin immediately
wash your hands with soap and water often – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell
Don’t
do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean
Check if you need medical help
NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do.
Use this service if:
you think you might have coronavirus
in the last 14 days you’ve been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus – see our coronavirus advice for travellers
you’ve been in close contact with someone with coronavirus
How to self-isolate if you’re asked to
If there’s a chance you could have coronavirus, you may be asked to stay away from other people (self-isolate).
This means you should:
stay at home
not go to work, school or public places
not use public transport or taxis
ask friends, family members or delivery services to do errands for you
try to avoid visitors to your home – it’s OK for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food
You may need to do this for up to 14 days to help reduce the possible spread of infection.
Read more coronavirus self-isolation advice.
Treatment for coronavirus
There is currently no specific treatment for coronavirus.
Antibiotics do not help, as they do not work against viruses.
Treatment aims to relieve the symptoms while your body fights the illness.
You’ll need to stay in isolation away from other people until you’ve recovered.
Advice for you and your family
It’s very unlikely to be coronavirus if:
you have not been in close contact with someone with confirmed coronavirus
you have not been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus in the last 14 days – see our coronavirus advice for travellers
If you think you might have coronavirus, use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do.
How it’s caught and spread
Can I get coronavirus from mail and parcels from China or other affected areas?
There is currently no evidence that you can catch coronavirus from parcels and letters. Viruses like coronavirus cannot live for very long outside the body.
Can I get coronavirus from food or takeaways?
There is currently no evidence that you can catch coronavirus from food. Viruses like coronavirus cannot live for very long outside the body.
But it’s always a good idea to wash your hands in soap and water or use hand sanitiser gel before you prepare or eat food.
What does “close contact with someone with a confirmed case of coronavirus” mean?
A confirmed case of coronavirus means someone who has been tested and found to have coronavirus.
Close contact with a confirmed case means:
living in the same house
contact with their body fluids
face-to-face contact, for example talking for more than a few minutes
being coughed on
being within 2 metres of the person for more than 15 minutes
Prevention
Are face masks useful for preventing coronavirus?
Face masks play a very important role in places like hospitals, but there is very little evidence of widespread benefit for members of the public.
Do I need to avoid public transport, mass gatherings, festivals, concerts or places with crowds?
Most people can continue to go to work, school and other public places.
You only need to stay away from public places (self-isolate) if advised to by the NHS 111 online coronavirus service or a medical professional.
Is there a vaccine for coronavirus?
There is currently no vaccine for coronavirus (COVID-19). The virus is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine.
Simple hygiene measures like washing your hands with soap and water often, and avoiding people who are unwell, can help stop viruses like coronavirus spreading.
Do vaccines against pneumonia protect against coronavirus?
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine.
Although the pneumococcal (pneumonia) vaccine is not effective against coronavirus, it is still recommended that you have it if offered to you because it can protect against other illnesses.
Can rinsing your nose with salt water (saline) help prevent coronavirus?
There is no evidence that regularly rinsing the nose with salt water (saline) protects you from coronavirus.
There is some limited evidence that regularly rinsing your nose with saline can help people recover more quickly from the common cold. But regularly rinsing the nose has not been shown to prevent respiratory infections.
Self-isolation
How should I isolate myself if I think I might have coronavirus?
If there’s a chance you could have coronavirus, you may be asked to stay away from other people (self-isolate).
This means you should:
stay at home
not go to work, school or public areas
not use public transport or taxis
ask friends, family members or delivery services to carry out errands for you
try to avoid visitors to your home – it’s OK for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food
You may need to do this for up to 14 days to help reduce the possible spread of infection.
Read more coronavirus self-isolation advice.
What should I do if I become unwell with possible coronavirus while I’m out and about?
Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.
If you become unwell in a public place:
Try to find a room to isolate yourself away from others. Ask for help if you need to, but try to stay at least 2 metres away from other people.
Open a window for ventilation if you can, but otherwise touch objects and surfaces as little as possible.
Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do next.
If you become unwell on public transport:
Go back to your home or place of residence immediately.
Try to avoid close contact with other people and touch objects and surfaces as little as possible.
Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do next.
Testing and treatment
Can antibiotics treat or prevent coronavirus?
Antibiotics do not work against coronavirus, as they work against bacteria and coronavirus is a virus.
But antibiotics may be given to some people with coronavirus because there’s a risk the virus may make them more likely to get a bacterial infection as well.
Are there any medicines to prevent or treat the new coronavirus?
There is currently no specific medicine to prevent or treat coronavirus (COVID-19), but there are treatments to relieve the symptoms while your body fights the illness.
Foreign travel
I am about to travel abroad, where can I get the most up-to-date travel advice?
If you’re planning to travel abroad and are concerned about coronavirus, check the country by country travel advice on GOV.UK.