Coronavirus - Important information 

Please ensure you familiarise yourself with the below advice regarding coronavirus. 

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Guidance on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

 

Recommended guidelines on PPE for homecare/ domiciliary workers from Public Health England

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Recommended guidelines on PPE for care homes from Public Health England

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If you attend an establishment where there is no PPE available, you must report this to your branch immediately. 

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For further information on PPE in a care setting, please refer to the government website.

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COVID-19 vaccination: guide for healthcare workers

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If people wish to check their symptoms please refer them to the NHS 111 online tool.

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What is Coronavirus 

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Coronavirus is a type of virus. It is part of a large family of viruses. Typical symptoms of coronavirus include fever and a cough that may progress to severe pneumonia causing shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Generally, coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.

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How is coronavirus transmitted?

 

Coronaviruses are mainly transmitted by large respiratory droplets and direct or indirect contact with infected secretions. They have also been detected in blood, faeces and urine and, under certain circumstances, airborne transmission is thought to have occurred from respiratory secretions and faecal material.

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What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

 

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

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• a new, persistent cough

• a high temperature

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General advice on what you can do to avoid catching or spreading infection

 

Significant progress has been made regarding the creation of vaccinations for coronavirus. However, we should all still continue adhering to these simple rules below. These are things we can all do to help stop germs like coronavirus from spreading:

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• 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 straight away (catch it, bin it, kill it)

• Wash your hands with soap and water often – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.

• Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell

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

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Infection control when working in a healthcare setting

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• Do not travel in your uniform, change at work

• Wash your uniform at 60c or above

• Ensure you familiarise yourself with local policies and procedures and any updates to these concerning coronavirus

• Ensure you adopt good hand-washing techniques with soap and water before and after all patient contact, if hands are soiled and after removal of protective clothing.

• Ensure you wear PPE (gloves and apron) in accordance with standard infection control policies and your training.

• Please practice trained standard precautions when handling any clinical waste.

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Travel

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If you're planning to travel abroad please check the country by country travel advice on GOV.UK

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Visit Gov.co.uk for all of the latest information.

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