‘Stay at home if you have a cold’
ANYONE with respiratory tract infection symptoms – such as flu or cold – or a fever is likely be asked to stay at home in self-isolation before too long, England’s chief medical officer has said.
Professor Chris Whitty said the number of cases in the UK is going up and pointed to tighter measures aimed at protecting the public, particularly the vulnerable and elderly.
It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters the UK will almost certainly move to the delay phase of tackling coronavirus.
Prof Whitty said: “We are now very close to the time, probably within the next 10 to 14 days, when the modelling would imply we should move to a situation where everybody with even minor respiratory tract infections or a fever should be self-isolating for a period of seven days.”
Mr Johnson said he believed the UK could rise to the challenge posed by coronavirus.
He said: “While it is absolutely critical in managing the spread of this virus that we take the right decisions at the right time based on the latest and the best evidence, so we mustn’t do things which have no or limited medical benefit, nor things which could turn out actually to be counter-productive, there is no hiding from the fact that the coronavirus outbreak will present significant challenges for the UK just as it does in other countries.
“But if we continue to look out for one another, to pull together in a united and national effort, I have no doubt that we can and will rise to that challenge.”
Earlier in the day, it was announced that people infected with coronavirus could be symptom-free for five days.
Researchers estimated the average incubation period of Covid-19 to be 5.1 days. The experts found that almost all (97.5%) of those who develop symptoms appeared to do so within 11.5 days of infection.
Coronaviruses in humans that cause common colds have average incubation periods of around three days.
Meanwhile, Britons on board a coronavirus-hit cruise ship in California could be on a flight back to the UK today.
More than 140 British passengers and crew were on the Grand Princess, which is carrying 21 people who have tested positive for Covid-19.
The Foreign Office said it was working closely with the US authorities to repatriate British nationals on the vessel, with plans for a flight today which would arrive in the UK on Wednesday afternoon.
Britons on board have described feeling tired and “fed up”, having been confined to their cabins since Thursday.
The ship docked at the port of Oakland yesterday.
Those leaving the vessel in Oakland will be tested for coronavirus, and anyone showing symptoms will be provided with treatment in San Francisco.