Measles alert for big music weekend
ONE of the biggest events in Coventry’s calendar is set to take place this weekend as the BBC Music Biggest Weekend comes to the War Memorial Park.
Over the Bank Holiday weekend, thousands of people will see stars such as Liam Gallagher and the Stereophonics taking to the stage.
However, ahead of the festival of music, a leading health body has issued a warning, as the region is currently dealing with an outbreak of a serious virus.
Public Health England West Midlands tweeted: “Measles is spreading around the West Midlands and festivals are a hotspot for them to spread. If you are going to the BBC Biggest Weekend and Biggest Weekend Fringe in Coventry, make sure you have had your MMR vaccines.
“We’re seeing cases of measles in young people around England and events such as music festivals and fairs provide the perfect environment for the infection to spread.
“Measles can be more severe in young people and some cases may lead to hospital admissions.
“Ask your GP if you are fully immunised with MMR and if not then book in and get protected. Don’t let measles ruin your summer.”
Measles cases start with cold-like symptoms that develop about 10 days after becoming infected. This is followed a few days later by the measles rash.
For most people, the illness lasts around seven to 10 days in total.
The initial symptoms of measles can include a runny or blocked nose, sneezing, watery eyes, swollen eyelids, sore, red eyes that may be sensitive to light, a high temperature (fever) which may reach around 40C (104F), small greyish-white spots in the mouth, aches and pains, a cough, loss of appetite, tiredness, irritability and a general lack of energy.
Contact your GP as soon as possible if you suspect that you or your child has measles, even if you’re not completely sure.
It’s best to phone before your visit, as your GP surgery may need to make arrangements to reduce the risk of spreading the infection to others.