Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) a new illness that affects your lungs and airways.
Do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital if you think you might have Coronavirus. Stay at home.
Use the NHS111 Coronavirus Service If You Have Either;
- A high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
These are the main symptoms of Coronavirus.
The 111 online Coronavirus service will ask about your symptoms and tell you what to do.
Babies And Children
Call 111 if you’re worried about a baby or child.
If they seem very unwell, are getting worse, or you think there’s something seriously wrong, call 999.
Do not delay getting help if you’re worried. Trust your instincts.
For more help and advice;
- Tell the NHS about your current experience of Coronavirus
- Sign up for text message advice while self-isolating
People At High Risk From Coronavirus
People at high risk from Coronavirus include people who;
- Have had an organ transplant
- Are having chemotherapy or antibody treatment for cancer, including immunotherapy
- Are having an intense course of radiotherapy (radical radiotherapy) for lung cancer
- Are having targeted cancer treatments that can affect the immune system (such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors)
- Have blood or bone marrow cancer (such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma)
- Have had a bone marrow or stem cell transplant in the past 6 months, or are still taking immunosuppressant medicine
- Have been told by a doctor they you have a severe lung condition (such as cystic fibrosis, severe asthma or severe COPD)
- Have a condition that means they have a very high risk of getting infections (such as SCID or sickle cell)
- Are taking medicine that makes them much more likely to get infections (such as high doses of steroids)
- Were born with a serious heart condition and are pregnant
- Are pregnant
If you’re at high risk from Coronavirus, you should have received a letter from the NHS.
Speak to your GP or hospital care team if you have not been contacted and think you should have been.
People At Moderate Risk (Clinically Vulnerable)
People at moderate risk from Coronavirus include people who;
- Are 70 or older
- Are pregnant
- Have a lung condition that’s not severe (such as asthma, COPD, emphysema or bronchitis)
- Have heart disease (such as heart failure)
- Have diabetes
- Have chronic kidney disease
- Have liver disease (such as hepatitis)
- Have a condition affecting the brain or nerves (such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy)
- Have a condition that means they have a high risk of getting infections
- Are taking medicine that can affect the immune system (such as low doses of steroids)
- Are very obese (a BMI of 40 or above)
Definition Of Clinically Extremely Vulnerable Groups
People who are defined as clinically extremely vulnerable are at very high risk of severe illness from coronavirus. There are 3 ways you may be identified as clinically extremely vulnerable:
- You have one or more of conditions listed below, or
- Your clinician or GP has added you to the Shielded Patient List because, based on their clinical judgement, they deem to you be at higher risk of serious illness if you catch the virus.
- You have been identified through the COVID-19 population risk assessment as potentially being at high risk of serious illness if you catch the virus.If you do not fall into any of these categories, and have not been contacted to inform you that you are on the Shielded Patient List, follow the general staying alert and safe guidance for the rest of the population.
If you think there are good clinical reasons why you should be added to the Shielded Patient List, discuss your concerns with your GP or hospital clinician.
People with the following conditions are automatically deemed clinically extremely vulnerable:
Solid organ transplant recipients
People with specific cancers:
- People with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy
- People with lung cancer who are undergoing radical radiotherapy
- People with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
- People having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
- People having other targeted cancer treatments that can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
- People who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
- People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
people with rare diseases that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), homozygous sickle cell disease) - People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infectionproblems with your spleen, for example splenectomy (having your spleen removed)
- Adults with Down’s syndrome
- Adults on dialysis or with chronic kidney disease (stage 5)
- Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired
- Other people who have also been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable, based on clinical judgement and an assessment of their needs. GPs and hospital clinicians have been provided with guidance to support these decisions
Other Areas That Can Affect Your Risk
- Your age – you risk increases with age
- Being a man
- Where in the country that you live, the risk is higher in poor areas
- Being from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) background
- Being born outside of the UK or Ireland
- Living in a care home
- Having certain jobs, such as a nurse, taxi driver and security guard
Pregnancy Advice
How To Protect Yourself At Home While Self-Isolating, Or You Are Living With Someone Who Is Self-Isolating
If you’re at high risk from coronavirus, you’re advised to take extra steps to protect yourself.
This includes not leaving your home for any reason (called shielding).
If it’s not possible to avoid close contact with someone who’s at high risk, you could choose to stay at home all the time.
This will help reduce the risk of you and the person you live with becoming ill.
If you choose to stay at home all the time, you can get food and medicine delivered and left outside your door. Ask friends and family to help or register for Coronavirus support on GOV.UK if you need it
If your symptoms are mild, you’ll usually be advised to not leave your home for at least 10 days.
Anyone you live with should not leave your home for 10 days.
This is called self-isolation.
It is currently recommended that you follow the following advice;
| General Health | Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds |
| Always wash your hands when you get home from work | |
| Use hand sanatiser, if soap and water are not available | |
| Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing | |
| Put tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards | |
| Prepare a hospital bag, including a list of the medicines you’re taking, in case you need to go into hospital | |
| Stay at home at all times – do not leave your home to buy food, collect medicine or exercise | |
| Get food and medicine delivered and left outside your door – ask friends and family to help or register to get coronavirus support on GOV.UK if you need it | |
| Spend as little time as possible in shared rooms, for example, the kitchen and sitting areas | |
| Stay at least 1 metre (3 ft), 1m plus rule in close contact areas, away from other people in your home as much as possible | |
| Use separate towels, including hand towels and tea towels | |
| Make sure anyone who comes into your home washes their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds | |
| Clean objects and surfaces you touch often (such as door handles, kettles and phones) using your regular cleaning products | |
| Clean cutlery, dishes and pans thoroughly | |
| Clean a shared bathroom each time you use it, for example by wiping the surfaces you have touched | |
| Do Not Do Any Of The Following | Do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth if your hands are not clean |
| Do not go to work | |
| Avoid public transport | |
| Do not have visitors in your home, including friends and family, unless they’re providing essential care | |
| Do not stop taking any prescription medicines without speaking to your doctor |
When And Why You’re Allowed Out
Resources
- Coronavirus and the situation in the UK
- NHS UK – Coronavirus Overview
- Coronavirus – Common Questions And Answers
- BBC Health – Coronavirus
All links come from trusted sources, however, if you are unsure about them or any other medical concerns, contact your doctor or pharmacist for further advice