If you think you or someone in your house might have Coronavirus this information will help you look after them/yourself, avoid spreading the virus to others and give you further information about when you should call for additional help or advice
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS
If you or any of your household have any of the following please call your GP or 111.
- Breathlessness – if this is severe or getting gradually worse
- Confusion – if you are confused or irrational or not making sense to those around you
- Excessive sleepiness – sleeping more when you are unwell is not unusual, but this can be a sign that your oxygen levels are getting too low. If you are increasing drowsy or there is someone in your household that is difficult to rouse
Mon-Fri 8:00am – 6.30pm call your GP – 01684 293278
ALL OTHER TIMES – Call 111
ANYONE WITH SUSPECTED CORONA VIRUS MUST TAKE IT EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY BY OBSERVING SELF ISOLATION AND RECOMMENDED HYGIENE MEASURES
What to expect
- Expect to be unwell for 4 to 5 days
- Symptoms include a persistent dry cough, a high temperature (above 37.8), exhaustion, muscle aches and pains, chest discomfort and tightness, diarrhoea and loss of smell and/or taste
- Most people (8 out of 10) will then get better, but may feel unusually tired for up to a month
- IMPORTANT: 2 out of 10 people are likely to get worse on or after day 5 of their illness. If this is the case you should call your GP or 111
Treatment
- Drink plenty of water and eat healthily to maintain your fluid intake and energy levels
- Use paracetamol to relieve your symptoms
- Do not use ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatories unless instructed to do so by a doctor
Isolation
We know that this is hard, but you need to follow the self-isolation guidance as strictly as possible until you are completely better or for 7 days, which ever is shorter
- Stay in a separate room to other household members where possible, if not maintain strict social distancing
- Have your meals / food passed to you on tray (which you do not touch)
- Put used plates, cups and cutlery into a bucket or bowl of hot soapy water (which you have not touched) for someone else to take away. Leave items to soak for at least one hour
- Use a separate bathroom if possible. If not, clean all bathroom surfaces which you have used yourself before you leave the room. Use disinfectant on a disposable wipe which you can throw in a bin
- Put dirty clothes in to a bag or basket (which you do not touch) This can then be tipped directly into the washing machine without being touched by anyone else.
Other people in your home without symptoms
- Do not let anyone else in to the house, even close family or friends
- Maintain strict social distancing from the person in the house showing Coronavirus symptoms
- Observe strict hand hygiene
- Do not touch your face, eyes nose or mouth except after washing your hands
- Clean solid surfaces that the person with Coronavirus symptoms may have touched with disinfectant; including doorknobs, banisters etc.
- If one person is the house shows symptoms everyone else in the house must self isolate for 14 days