Be prepared and help fight virus
With reports of the spread of coronavirus infection on the news every day, I thought it would be useful to share some information that might help people understand better what the risks are and what steps can be taken to reduce the chance of infection, and - most importantly - what to do if you think you might have been in contact with the virus.
First of all, it is important to note that the risk to individuals remains low, and all Scottish test results have come back negative so far.
However, as coronavirus continues to spread, the chief medical officer has advised that it is highly likely that we will see a positive case in Scotland.
I can assure you that Scotland is well-prepared for an outbreak of coronavirus, should one come.
But, since there is currently no treatment or vaccine, preventing the spread of any outbreak will be vital, and the Scottish Government is working closely with NHS Scotland and Health Protection Scotland to ensure this.
The public also has a vital role to play in helping us contain any outbreak by following the latest health and travel advice, and following basic hygiene precautions, such as washing hands and covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
I should stress that this was all up to date at the time of writing but it is a situation that will be changing by the day, so make sure that you check the most recent information.
Updates on public health advice for coronavirus can be found on the NHS Inform website, and a free helpline has also been set up for those who do not have symptoms but are looking for general health advice: 0800 028 2816.
For the general public who are planning to travel abroad, guidance can be found on www.fitfortravel. nhs.uk
Where a coronavirus risk is identified then country pages will be updated.
Anyone who has arrived in the UK from the areas listed below since February 19 is advised to stay indoors and avoid contact with other people, even if they do not have symptoms.
Those who have returned from these areas and display or develop symptoms should phone their GP or NHS24 on 111 out of hours:
•Iran
•Specific lockdown areas in northern Italy as designated by the Government of Italy
•Special care zones in South Korea as designated by the Government of the Republic of Korea
•The Hubei province in China
For South Korea, anyone who visited the two cities at the centre of the outbreak, Daegu and Cheongdo, is advised to self-isolate for 14 days, even if they do not have symptoms.
For Iran, all returning travellers are requested to self-isolate, even if they do not have symptoms.
For northern Italy, all travellers returning from specific lockdown areas identified by the Italian Government are advised to self-isolate, even if they do not have symptoms.
Any other travellers returning from parts of Italy north of Pisa, Florence and Rimini in the past week are asked to monitor their health, and self-isolate if they develop symptoms.
Anyone who has travelled to the UK from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam is also now advised to monitor their health, and self-isolate if they develop symptoms.
There is no need for panic about this disease but it is important to be aware of the steps that can and should be taken to prevent further spread and to protect vulnerable people from infection.
Young women in Perth and Kinross are being encouraged to take part in an online survey researching how much they know about cervical cancer and the measures to prevent it.
Ellen Kerr (21) is currently carrying out research for her honours degree dissertation in the School of Geography at the University of St Andrews.
She picked this region because Tayside and Fife has some of the lowest uptake rates of cervical screening for younger women in Scotland.
Ellen decided to pursue this aspect of women’s health after watching a YouTube video online made by social media influencer Zoe Sugg.
The video saw Zoe meet with Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust to help encourage more women to attend their smear test.
“Not knowing much about cervical screening myself, and knowing I would inevitably receive an invitation in the somewhat near future, I clicked on the video to see what it was all about,” Ellen explained.
“Miss Sugg included her own screening test and placed a timer on the screen whilst it was taking place. For her, the test took just 48 seconds.
“Afterwards the GP explained how the sample collected would be tested and what would happen if abnormal cells were found.
“The importance of cervical screenings was highlighted, especially in light of uptake rates for cervical screenings being low within the UK, particularly among women aged 25-29.
“The video ends with a discussion between Miss Sugg and her friends and colleagues about cervical screening, their own experiences, thoughts and feelings.
“It was nice to see them be able to speak openly, encouragingly, and reassuringly to one another about cervical cancer and cervical screening.
“Watching the video made me aware how much my knowledge of HPV (one of the major causes of cervical cancer), cervical cancer,