Sunday Express Health Editor Lucy Johnston’s essential cut-out-and-keep guide to Covid-19
What are the symptoms?
Latest scientific advice suggests you may have Covid-19 and need to selfisolate if you have a fever above 37.8 degrees and/or a persistent cough for more than four days. You do not need to have both. The cough is usually dry, but, not always. It normally, but not always, develops three or four days after a fever. You may or may not have other symptoms.
Latest findings this weekend suggest loss of taste or smell without other symptoms could be another early Covid-19 indicator.
A study in China showed 88 per cent of patients have a fever, 68 per cent a cough, 38 per cent are tired and 33 per cent produce phlegm. A smaller number had shortness of breath, muscle and joint pain, a sore throat, headache, chills, nausea, nasal congestion and/or diarrhoea.
What can happen if I get sick?
Most – 80 per cent – recover without needing special treatment. One in six becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people and those with underlying medical problems such as high blood pressure, heart problems or those with diabetes are more likely to develop serious illness.
What do I do if I get the symptoms?
Stay at home for 14 days with your family. The time starts again if another family member starts with a cough or temperature. Stay at least three steps away from people. Do not go to a GP, pharmacy or hospital. Do not phone 111 unless you are unable to cope, in order to ease the burden on the NHS.
Why is it so infectious?
Scientists think Covid-19 is less deadly than viruses such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) and Ebola, but it seems to spread more easily than diseases such as flu. This is because the number of people one person can infect with Covid-19 is higher than that of many other infectious diseases. A person with flu may on average infect one other person. A person with
Covid-19 could infect three others. It is not known why but it may be because in many people symptoms are so mild they do not realise they have it and so come into contact with many other people. It may also be explained by the fact that people are contagious with the disease for a longer time. The “superspreaders” are not those who are emitting more infection, but just came into contact with more people.
How is it transmitted?
Mainly through respiratory droplets from nose or mouth when an infected person coughs or breaths out, rather than through the air. The drops land on objects or surfaces and other people catch the virus by touching these objects or surfaces then eyes, nose or mouth. The virus can live for hours or days depending on the surface, temperature or humidity. People can also catch it if they breath droplets from an infected person. So it is important to wash hands before touching your face and stay 6ft from a sick person.
Can I get it from someone with no symptoms?
The risk is very low. Yet many people experience only mild symptoms especially early on so it can be caught from someone who has, say, a mild cough but isn’t ill.
Will I be immune once I’ve had it?
Scientists think those who have recovered will have immunity, but this is not definite. Nor do they know how long immunity would last. Some scientists say, based on other coronaviruses, it could last a year to two, but it
could be shorter or even lifelong.
Should you wear a mask? Only if you have symptoms, especially coughing, or you are looking after someone who may have it.
Scientists think if you wear a mask but are not infected you are more likely to become infected as the virus particles stick in the mask.
How likely am I to get it?
The risk depends whether there is an outbreak in your area. Because we have no routine testing for those with symptoms we do not know the true scale of the problem. Current figures are based on estimates. Outbreaks can be contained and transmission stopped as has been shown in China, but it is still not known what happens if restrictions are lifted.
How long does it take to develop symptoms once I’ve got the virus? Most estimates range from one to 14 days, commonly about five days. But this figure is constantly under review.
Is it safe to receive a package from any area where there is Covid-19? The likelihood of an infected person contaminating goods is low and the risk of catching the virus from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.
What is social distancing for those in the highrisk groups without symptoms?
Those at risk of severe illness should follow these measures. This includes people 70 or over. It also includes those with underlying health conditions such as lung diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as people with heart, kidney or liver disease.
It also includes people with cancer and those with neurological conditions such as motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. Those with weakened immune systems due to conditions such as HIV or AIDS are also at more risk.
Pregnant women are also advised to follow these measures as a precaution, though there is no evidence they or their unborn baby are more at risk.
Social distancing involves avoiding contact with someone who has symptoms such as a high temperature and/or a continuous cough. It also involves avoiding non-essential use of public transport and working from home if possible. Pubs, restaurants etc are now closed, but avoid gatherings with friends and family.
Tips
● Plan to stay at home or find the right place to stay.
● Eat well and stay hydrated.
● Keep taking your medication.
● Continue accessing treatment and support if possible.
● Take care of your environment.
● If you have care needs or provide care or support to someone else then think about other ways to achieve this.
Can you get food delivered?
Are your supplies stocked? Can you budget for higher bills or expenses? Will you save money from lower transport costs so you could spend it elsewhere?
Work: Can you work from home? Do you know your rights to payments/benefits? Medication: Do you have enough or a way to get more?
Health: Can you reorganise planned therapy or treatments?
Commitments:: Can someone help you care for any dependents, walk your dog, or take care of any other commitments? Connectivity:: Have you checked the contact details of people you see regularly... phone numbers or emails? Routine: Can you create a routine or timetable for yourself? And if you live with other people, should you create a household schedule?
Exercise: Is there physical activity you can do, such as going up and down stairs, using bean tins as weights, or exercises you can do in your chair? Nature: Have you thought how you could access nature? Can you get some seeds and planting equipment, houseplants or living herbs?
Have you thought about things to do, read or watch? Relax: Have you the materials so you can do something creative, such as paper and colouring pencils?