Coronavirus advice and a guide to self-isolation at home in Grantham

Advice to the British public in relation to coronavirus is now to stay home and self-isolate for seven days if showing symptoms of coronavirus. These are:

• a high temperature (37.8C or above);
• a new continuous cough.

This is to help delay the spread of the virus in the community, and is part of new guidance released on Thursday (March 12).

Guidance also includes schools not taking trips abroad, while older people and those with pre-existing health conditions should avoid cruises.

The following may be helpful if you have to self-isolate, or if you have questions about coronavirus.

Tips for staying at home

It's important to stay at home to stop coronavirus spreading, if you are experiencing symptoms.

According to the new guidance:

DO

• try to keep at least two metres (3 steps) from other people in your home, particularly older people or those with long-term health conditions
• ask friends and family and delivery services to deliver things like food shopping and medicines – but avoid contact with them
• sleep alone if possible
• regularly wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds
• try to stay away from older people and those with long-term health conditions
• drink plenty of water and take everyday painkillers, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, to help with your symptoms

DON'T

• have visitors (ask people to leave deliveries outside)
• leave the house, for example to go for a walk, to school or public places

Those needing advice should use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service if:

• you cannot cope with your symptoms at home
• your condition gets worse
• your symptoms do not get better after seven days

To avoid overloading the service, people are being advise to only call 111 if they cannot get help online. People are also being told not to go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital so that the virus is not spread to others.

In addition, there is currently no specific treatment for coronavirus. Antibiotics do not help because they do not work against viruses.

Here is everything you need to know about coronavirus - Covid-19.

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 which 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.

What are the signs and symptoms of this virus?

The symptoms of the new coronavirus (known as COVID-19) includes fever and respiratory symptoms including coughing, sneezing, and shortness of breath.

How many cases do we have in the UK?

As of 9am on March 13, 2020, 32,771 people have been tested in the UK, of which 31,973 were confirmed negative and 798 were confirmed as positive. 10 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died.

How does the coronavirus spread?

Because it's a new illness, heath chiefs say they do not know exactly how it spreads from person to person, but similar viruses spread by cough droplets or sneeze droplets.

How long any respiratory virus survives will depend on a number of factors; for example, what surface the virus is on, whether it is exposed to sunlight, differences in temperature and humidity and exposure to cleaning products.

What can you do to reduce my risk of catching coronavirus?

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.

Should people wear face masks to protect themselves from infection?

Face masks play a very important role in clinical settings, such as hospitals but there’s very little evidence of widespread benefit from their use outside of these clinical settings. Face masks must be worn correctly, changed frequently, removed properly and disposed of safely in order to be effective.

If you live in the area where coronavirus patients are reported as coming from - are you at extra risk?

To ensure someone with coronavirus doesn’t put others at risk is by treating them in isolation and carefully investigating who they had close contact with through contact tracing.

If a person tests positive for coronavirus, health bosses speak to the patient to identify anyone who has who has had close contact with them during the time they are considered to be infectious and go all out to find these people as soon as possible.

Once health chiefs have contacted them they can then give them the advice they need.

What does self-isolation mean for people who don’t have symptoms?

Just like when you have the flu, individuals should remain at home and should not go to work, school or public areas.

Where possible, individuals should avoid having visitors to their home but it is OK for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food. Individuals should not use public transport or taxis until 14 days after their return from a specified area.

What happens if I’m tested for coronavirus?

A doctor or nurse will swab your nose and throat if you need testing for the coronavirus.

These samples are then safely transported to one of PHE's labs.Testing starts when your sample reaches the lab; it takes 24-48 hours for testing to be done.

Once the result is available, it is sent back to your doctor or nurse who will let you know the result and give you advice on what to do next.

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