Many with symptoms ‘fail to fully self-isolate’
A FIFTH of Britons who reported at least one of the Covid-19 symptoms in the last week did not fully self-isolate in the days after, a survey suggests.
Some 12% of Britons surveyed by YouGov said they had experienced at least one of the common symptoms of Covid-19 in the previous seven days.
These include fever, dry cough, loss of taste or smell and shortness of breath.
When asked what action they took over the following days, around a fifth (21%) of those who had Covid-19 symptoms said they had only sometimes, rarely or never self-isolated.
Asked how easy or difficult they would expect to find selfisolating for seven days, if advised to in future, 17% said they thought it would be somewhat or very difficult.
But the vast majority, 95%, said they would be very or somewhat willing to do this in future if necessary.
YouGov is partnering with the Institute of Global Health Innovation (IGHI) at Imperial College London to look at how populations across the world are adhering to public health advice to tackle coronavirus.
Thirteen countries were included in the first phase of the study, including 1,650 respondents from the UK, and it will expand to 16 more parts of the world this week.
Reported testing in the UK was the lowest out of all the countries, with just 1% of respondents saying they had been tested, and 1% saying a member of their household had been tested.
The survey also found that Britons are washing their hands an average of 12 times a day but around one in seven are failing to clean often-touched household surfaces.
Around 15% said they had rarely or never cleaned doorknobs, toilets and taps inside their homes within the last seven days.
And more than a fifth (22%) said they only sometimes had done this.
Britons seem to be staying inside as advised, only leaving the house an average of 0.77 times a day, compared to the international average of 1.08 times.
British people came within two metres of an average of 4.4 people outside their immediate household in the past week, it found.
They washed their hands an average of 12.06 times a day, just over the international average.
And over 90% are regularly covering their noses and mouths when they cough or sneeze and avoiding social gatherings, crowded areas and using public transport.
BORIS JOHNSON’S condition “continues to improve”, the UK Health Secretary has said.
The Prime Minister is back on a ward at St Thomas’ Hospital after being discharged from the intensive care unit where he was being treated for Covid-19.
Speaking at the UK Government press briefing yesterday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “I’m very happy to report that the Prime Minister’s condition continues to improve.
“He wants to personally thank the whole clinical team at St Thomas’ for the incredible care that he has received.
“His thoughts are with all of those who have been affected by this terrible disease.”
A No 10 spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has been able to do short walks, between periods of rest, as part of the care he is receiving to aid his recovery.”
Dr Chris Smith, from the University of Cambridge, who is also presenter of the Naked Scientists podcast, told the PA news agency that, when the Prime Minister is fit enough to be discharged from hospital, it is likely he will do so with instructions to take it easy for several weeks.
The comments came as Mr Johnson’s father, Stanley, said his son “almost took one for the team” and will need a period of rest before he can “pick up the reins” at Number 10.
Dr Smith told PA Mr Johnson is likely to be feeling “like he’s been hit by several buses”.
“Being severely unwell and sufficiently ill to warrant ITU admission really takes it out of you and leaves people weak and exhausted for a significant period of time afterwards,” he said.
However, as the PM is younger, was in good health, and had not needed to be put on a ventilator “he is likely to be able to bounce back more quickly”, Dr Smith said.