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What is COVID-19/Coronavirus?

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called Coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that cause illnesses such as the common cold, to more severe conditions such as pneumonia, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory syndrome (SARS). The COVID-19 strain of Coronavirus is new and not previously known.

The source of the current outbreak hasn’t been confirmed yet but is being investigated. From the evidence available so far, it appears that human-to-human transmission is occurring.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptoms of this Coronavirus include:

fever (high temperature)
cough
shortness of breath
respiratory symptoms (like those you have with a cold)
breathing difficulties
headaches

Stay at home to stop coronavirus spreading

Everyone must stay at home to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

You should only leave the house for 1 of 4 reasons:

shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible
one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with members of your household
any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
travelling to and from work, but only where this absolutely cannot be done from home

Important!

These 4 reasons are exceptions – even when doing these activities, you should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensuring you are 2 metres apart from anyone outside of your household (social distancing).

How to stop infection spreading

There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you and anyone you live with getting ill with coronavirus.

Do

wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
wash your hands as soon as you get back home
cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards

Don’t

do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean

Looking after your health and wellbeing

To help yourself stay well while you’re at home:

stay in touch with family and friends over the phone or on social media
try to keep yourself busy – you could try activities like cooking, reading, online learning and watching films
do light exercise at home, or outside once a day

Do not leave your home if you have coronavirus symptoms

Do not leave your home if you have either:

a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

To protect others, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Stay at home.

Use the 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do.

What to do if you need medical help

If you need medical help for any reason, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.

If you have symptoms of coronavirus (a high temperature or a new, continuous cough), use the 111 coronavirus service.

If you need help or advice not related to coronavirus:

for health information and advice, use the NHS website or your GP surgery website
for urgent medical help, use the NHS 111 online service – only call 111 if you’re unable to get help online
for life-threatening emergencies, call 999 for an ambulance

Read more advice about getting medical help at home.

Treatment for Coronavirus

There is currently no specific treatment for Coronavirus. Antibiotics do not help, as they do not work against viruses. Treatment aims to relieve the symptoms while your body fights the illness. You’ll need to stay in isolation, away from other people, until you have recovered.

Urgent advice: Use the NHS 111 online Coronavirus service if: