GOV.UK – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public
Coronavirus (COVID-19): what you need to do
REMEMBER TO REGULARLY WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP AND WATER FOR AT LEAST 20 SECONDS (OR WHILE SINGING “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” TWICE)
From: Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England
Contents
1. What to do if you have symptoms
2. Number of cases
3. Risk level
4. Recent government action
5. Diagnosis and analysis
Go to NHS.UK/coronavirus for information about the virus and how to protect yourself.
What to do if you have symptoms
Stay at home for 7 days if you have either:
• a high temperature
• a new continuous cough
This will help to protect others in your community while you are infectious.
Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.
You do not need to contact NHS 111 to tell them you’re staying at home.
We will not be testing people who are self-isolating with mild symptoms.
Number of cases
As of 9am on 13 March 2020, 32,771 people have been tested in the UK, of which 31,973 were confirmed negative and 798 were confirmed as positive. 10 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died.
Cases identified in England
Confirmed cases in each local authority and NHS region are published by Public Health England (PHE).
Risk level
The risk to the UK has been raised to high.
Recent government action
The government published its coronavirus action plan on 3 March.
On 10 February, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, announced strengthened legal powers to protect public health.
The Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 have been put in place to reduce the risk of further human-to-human transmission in this country by keeping individuals in isolation where public health professionals believe there is a reasonable risk an individual may have the virus.
Diagnosis and analysis
The UK is one of the first countries outside China to have a prototype specific laboratory test for this new disease. Healthcare professionals who are contacted by a patient with symptoms following travel to an affected area have been advised to submit samples to PHE for testing. Individuals should be treated in isolation.
After the experience of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, PHE developed a series of diagnostic tests to detect any member of the family of coronaviruses. These have been used for several years, and were able to detect the first UK case of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012.
With the first reported publication of the genome sequence of a 2019 novel coronavirus, PHE was able to rapidly develop further specific tests for this virus, working with WHO and global network of laboratories.
When a clinician suspects novel coronavirus (COVID-19), they take samples from the nose, throat and deeper respiratory samples, package and send them safely to PHE Colindale. PHE can provide a laboratory result from this specific virus on the same working day.
PHE also has the capability to sequence the viral genome and compare this to published sequences from China, if a case occurs. This will provide valuable information on any mutations in the virus over time and allow an improved understanding of how it spreads.
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