What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is a virus that causes an illness called COVID-19. It affects your lungs and airways. For most people, it causes mild symptoms while for others it can be more serious and require hospital treatment.
It’s a new illness, so there’s a lot we don’t know for sure yet, but the Government is making lots of preparations to help contain coronavirus as much as possible.
There are simple, effective things we can all do to reduce our risk of catching COVID-19 or transmitting the virus to other people.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
The symptoms are:
- a cough
- a high temperature
- shortness of breath.
These symptoms are similar to lots of other illnesses, like common colds and flu. If someone has these symptoms it doesn’t necessarily mean they have coronavirus.
How can I reduce my risk of getting coronavirus?
One of the most important things you can do to reduce the risk of infection for yourself and the people around you is to wash your hands, frequently and thoroughly, with soap and hot water. You should wash your hands more often than you would normally.
You should wash your hands for at least 20 seconds or for two rounds of the song ‘Happy Birthday’, especially when you get home after going out, before eating or handling food, and after sneezing or blowing your nose.
Try to avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. You should also make sure you catch coughs or sneezes with a tissue or your sleeve – not your hands – and put used tissues in the bin. Then wash your hands.
Do I need to wear a face mask?
During normal day-to-day activities face masks don’t protect people from viruses like coronavirus. The best way to reduce any risk of infections is with good hygiene, like washing your hands, and avoiding direct or close contact (within 2 metres) with any potentially infected person.
Healthcare professionals may wear masks if they’re looking after people who have tested positive for coronavirus, or may have been infected. If someone has been told they have coronavirus, they may be advised to wear a mask.
Should I stop going out or seeing people?
If you have a new, continuous cough or high temperature the Government has advised that you stay at home for 7 days. There’s advice from the Government on how to manage if you’re staying at home.
But if you’re feeling well, the Government hasn’t said you should stop going out or meeting up with other people. Most people can keep doing what they normally do as long as they don’t have symptoms and maintain good hygiene practices like washing their hands regularly.
You only need to stay at home and avoid contact with other people (called ‘self-isolating’) if you have a high temperature or a persistent cough, or if you’ve been advised by NHS 111 or another healthcare professional.
If you or someone you know has a weakened immune system (for example, because of an existing health condition), it’s important to ensure you and those you’re in close contact with pay attention to the advice above.
Copyright from https://www.ageuk.org.uk/
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