Corona Virus Advice
For advice on the Corona Virus, please go to the website below for more information.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public
What is coronavirus?
A coronavirus is a type of virus. As a group, coronaviruses are common across the world. Typical symptoms of coronavirus include fever and a cough that may progress to a severe pneumonia causing shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
Generally, coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.
You can find out more about coronavirus on the NHS website.
What is the risk?
The risk to the general public is moderate. The relative death rates and infection rates of the virus are shown to be broadly similar to the flu, also the virus’ death rate has so far proven to not be significantly higher than the flu. Although not all of those suffering from the latest strain of the coronavirus will have reported it – meaning the death rate could be even lower. We don’t know the number of cases where people have been unwell, but not gone to hospital.
Those infected with the virus are typically passing it on to two or three people – which again is broadly similar to the more common flu virus.
Advice for people returning to the UK
If you have arrived back to the UK from any areas that have cases of the virus the best advice is to follow Public Health England guidance.
Anyone who has travelled from places specified on the Public Health England site in the last 14 days and develops symptoms of cough or fever or shortness of breath, should immediately:
- Stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu
- Call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the country
How to prevent the spread of coronavirus
Like the common cold, coronavirus infection usually occurs through close contact with a person with novel coronavirus via cough and sneezes or hand contact. A person can also be infected by touching contaminated surfaces if they do not wash their hands.
The risk of being in close contact with a person with coronavirus or contaminated surfaces is very low at the current time.
Everyone is being reminded to follow Public Health England advice to:
- Always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a sanitiser gel.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
You can find the latest information and advice from Public Health England at www.gov.uk/coronavirus and find out more about coronavirus on the NHS website.
