Novel Coronavirus

The Noval Coronavirus, everything you need to know.

Update 23 March 2020 the government is now introducing three new measures:

Only go outside for food, health reasons or essential work.
Stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people
Wash your hands as soon as you get home

What is the Noval Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been designated a high consequence infectious disease (HCID). COVID 19 is a new virus from the coronavirus family that includes SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome).

Coronavirus are zoonotic (transmitted between animals and people) RNA virus and this one is thought to have started in a fish/animal market in China.

COVID-19 for most individuals causes mild to moderate illness, but in addition may result in pneumonia or severe acute respiratory infection.

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

The symptoms of coronavirus are:

Cough
Runny nose
Sore throat
High temperature
shortness of breath

But these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have the illness as they are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu.

If you develop

A new continuous cough OR
A high temperature of 37.8 degrees or higher

You are advised to stay at home and self-isolate for 7 days regardless of your travel history or contact with confirmed cases.

Patients should stay at home and self-isolate for 7 days from the onset of their symptoms. If someone has serious symptoms they cannot manage at home they should use NHS 111 online or telephone NHS 111 if they do not have access to online services.

After the 7 day isolation period, people who no longer have a high temperature can return to their normal routine.

If you do not show any signs of improvement after 7 days and have not already sought medical advice, you should use NHS 111 (either online or via telephone) before you leave your home or have people visit your home.

Please be aware a cough may persist for several weeks in some people, despite any possible infection having cleared. A persistent cough alone does not mean that someone must continue to stay isolated for more than 7 days.

You do not need to self-isolate if they have no symptoms

To prevent further spread of infection it is important to:

Wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds at a time to kill bacteria,
Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing,
Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards.
Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
Always wash your hands when you get home or into work
Only travel on public transport if you need to
Work from home, if you can
Avoid social activities, such as going to pubs, restaurants, theatres and cinemas
Avoid events with large groups of people
Use phone, online services or apps to contact your GP surgery or other NHS services

Don’t:

Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.
Do not have visitors to your home, including friends and family

Please see the below link for guidance on social distancing for everyone in the UK and protecting older people and vulnerable adults. Information includes: what steps can you take to stay connected with family and friends during this time, how you can look after your mental wellbeing during this time, advice if you live with a vulnerable person and advice on how you can get assistance with foods and medicines if you have reduced social contacts. This Gov.uk guidance page also gives an easy, clear summary of advice in the form of a table for different ages and health conditions, after clicking the link please scroll down to view the useful table at the bottom of the page:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults

Advice to patients

If you are experiencing symptoms, however mild, please SELF ISOLATE at home and seek advice from NHS 111.

DO NOT visit your GP Surgery; this will increase the risk of infection to others.

If you suspect you may have COVID-19:

Use the NHS111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do next (it’s a few simple questions and then tells you what to do!) https://111.nhs.uk/service/covid-19