Families will be told to self-isolate together if just ONE shows coronavirus symptoms ‘within the next two weeks’
ENTIRE families will be told to self-isolate if just one of them has coronavirus symptoms within the next two weeks, it has been reported.
Friends and relatives will also be asked to “shield” themselves from the killer bug after the UK’s death toll nearly doubled yesterday.
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A meeting over the weekend with the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has concluded that Britain will “soon” move to trying to delay the peak of the outbreak.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock wrote in : “SAGE has advised the next planned effective interventions will need to be instituted soon, including measures to ‘shield’ older and medically vulnerable people from the virus.
“Everyone will need to help to ensure they get the support they need to stay at home, and to protect them from the consequences of isolation: loneliness, and a lack of support.
“Government, local councils, charities, friends and neighbours will need to be part of the national effort to support the shielded. We will provide expert advice and support as soon as we progress to this phase.”
This morning, Mr Hancock said people aged 70 and over will be asked to self-isolate for up to four months.
At the moment Brits who get ill are being told to stay away from the people in their home as best they can – and avoid contact with others.
They are told to sleep apart and stay at least two metres away from others in their house.
But in future whole families could have to go into lockdown to stop the spread further, experts said earlier.
That could be for up to a fortnight to make sure that everyone in the family has time for the symptoms to show and to get over the most infectious part of the disease.
However, that is not advice the Government is recommending at the moment – as we are not yet at the peak of the illness.
It’s not expected that advice will come in for weeks or even months to come.
This week, Boris Johnson told Brits to stay at home if they have a cough or cold for at least a week.
And the elderly were instructed not to go on cruise ships in case they caught the disease.
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The PM has decided to keep schools open despite Ireland announcing it would shut theirs down until the end of March to try and stop the spread.
But he warned that many more loved ones would die during the epidemic, in a stark warning to the nation.
Boris described the outbreak the “worst public health crisis in a generation” and “it will spread further” as he revealed new measures to try and stop the spread.
He told the nation this afternoon at another press conference: “Many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time.”
He added: “We are not closing schools at this time.
“This could do more harm than good.”
Advice for staying at home and self-isolating
- Stay at home for 7 days from when your symptoms started – and don’t leave your building
- Ask friends, family and your employer for help with groceries and medication
- Get delivery drivers to leave items for collection outside your home – and tell them not to come in
- Stay at least 2metres away from other people in your home and sleep alone if you can
- Keep the door closed and windows open for ventilation and air flow
- Use your own toothbrushes, cutlery, towels and bed linen
- Double bag any of your own waste e.g. tissues and cleaning cloths and leave it for 72 hours before deposing it in your household bin
- Do not shake dirty laundy to stop the spread of any virus
- Minimise the time you spend in shared areas like the kitchen
- Wipe toilets and the bath after every time you use them
- Stay away from vulnerable people such as the elderly
- You don’t need to call NHS111 unless your symptoms get drastically worse
And in a direct appeal to the nation’s elderly, he added: “The Government will do all we can to help your and your family”.
The Government has told anyone with a mild cough or temperature to stay at home for seven days following a COBRA meeting this week.
The total number of UK cases hit 1,140 yesterday wit 21 deaths.
The second stage of Boris’ four-part battleplan, “delay” means Britain will now aim to slow down the spread of coronavirus and reduce the number of people being infected to delay the peak.
Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, said the measures would help to protect older and more vulnerable people – and the risk to the public was now “high”.
However, the peak of the outbreak could still be another 3 months away, Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance added.
Boris said this week they were “considering” banning major public events such as sports matches, but it’s not on the cards right now.
The PM and experts have said they don’t think it will help as much as other measures.
Cancelling big events could just force people into each other’s homes and to the pub instead, they predicted.
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From sore throat to cough and fever – how to tell if it’s NOT flu or a cold
As Covid-19 is a new virus, experts are still working to understand it.
According to the NHS and the World Health Organisation (WHO), the most common symptoms of coronavirus infection usually include:
- A cough
- A high temperature
- Shortness of breath
Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhoea – but these are usually mild and begin gradually.
Developing these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have the illness and they are similar to other illnesses, such as the common cold or flu.
Some people will not develop all of these symptoms – and some might not even show symptoms at all, experts say.
Brits told to self-isolate for a week if they have a 'mild' cold or a cough
BRITS are being told to do their duty for the country’s coronavirus effort and self-isolate for seven days if they have a mild cough or cold.
Anyone with even mild symptoms should not leave home for seven days from when their symptoms start to stop the virus spreading.
People staying at home for seven days should stay at least two metres away from people whenever possible, according to Public Health England’s guidelines.
They should also sleep alone – as well as wash their hands regularly for 20 seconds with soap and water.