Liverpool Coronavirus: The latest advice if you are worried you have it

Six cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed in Liverpool, as the number of people testing positive in the UK has risen to 596.

With supermarket shelves being emptied of loo rolls and long shelf-life food like pasta and rice as shoppers stock up in case of self-isolation, growing concerns around the spread of the virus are obvious.

Boris Johnson has announced that schools will not close unless specifically asked to do so and large events will not be cancelled. He advised anyone with symptoms of the virus to self-isolate for 7 days and advised against cruise travel for over 70’s. Get the latest advice from NHS here.

If you are an event organiser, a business owner or work for a school or college and would like to add your update please email us coronavirusupdates@theguideliverpool.com. Our latest feed can also be found here.

You can also let us know on social media at either Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Liverpool City Council have also launched a dedicated news feed for Coronavirus and you can follow the links here

www.twitter.com/COVIDLiverpool

www.facebook.com/COVIDLiverpool

But what if you’re worried you might have coronavirus? What should you do next?

The Guide Liverpool has spoken to Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) which plans NHS services in the city, including hospital care and GP services, to get the latest advice …

What if you have flu-like symptoms and think it could be coronavirus?

DON’T go to your GP surgery, walk-in centre, to A&E or even to a pharmacy.  

  If you’ve got a cough, high temperature or shortness of breath (even if it’s mild), or you’ve spent time with someone with confirmed coronavirus, then you should stay at home, avoid close contact with other people and get advice from NHS 111. If you don’t want to call the hotline number, then you can get the same help online by going to https://111.nhs.uk/

Why not just go straight to your doctor?

If you go to your GP because you suspect you have the virus, they won’t be able to assess or treat you, they will put you in isolation and ask you to call 111. If you go to A&E, you’re more likely to put other people at serious risk. You could come into contact with someone who is immune suppressed or quite poorly and so they’re already likely to be at the highest risk.

What will happen if you do contact 111?

You’ll be asked a series of questions such as whether you’ve travelled to any specific countries in the last 21 days, and they’ll do a symptom check, and assess your risk. Depending on your answers you’ll be advised from there whether you should be tested or not and how.

If you do need to be tested, how is that likely to happen?

There have been isolation pods set up in hospitals and at walk-in centres testing people in Liverpool and from this week there has been an increased emphasis on a city-wide home-testing system. Someone will come out to your home to carry out a swab test remotely. That will then be sent away for assessment and you’ll be advised to stay at home until you get the results. NHS England say around 1500 tests are currently being processed every day and most are turned around within 24 hours. You’ll either be told you’re fine, or if you do test positive then you’ll be advised to self-isolate and tell everyone you’ve come into close contact with to do the same.

If you do have to self-isolate, what does that mean?

You’ll need to stay at home for 14 days, not go to work, school or other public places, and avoid public transport or taxis. Do common sense things like opening windows and keeping away from other people in your home. Ask for help if you need groceries, other shopping or medication – get friends, family or delivery drivers to drop them off – but don’t have any visitors! They’ll have to leave your deliveries on the doorstep.

What happens if you don’t live on your own?

Try to avoid using the kitchen when anyone else is in there and take your meals back to one room to eat on your own. Clean all the surfaces at home every day and if you can’t stay away from family members or flatmates altogether, try to limit any contact as much as possible. Don’t share towels or toiletries and use a separate bathroom if you can – or make sure that you use it last then clean it afterwards.

What are the best ways to avoid catching coronavirus?

Like a regular cold, infection usually happens because of close contact with a person who already has it, either through coughing and sneezing or hand contact. You can also catch the virus by touching contaminated surfaces if you then don’t wash your hands so make sure you wash them often with soap and water, especially after using public transport, or use a hand sanitiser instead if you can get hold of any. The advice is to always carry tissues and use them when you cough or sneeze, then bin the tissue, and wash your hands. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands and avoid close contact with anyone who’s feeling unwell.