Face coverings: separating fact from fiction
Professor Trisha Greenhalgh answers questions on face coverings and their role reducing the transmission of coronavirus.
Coronavirus is a virus that affects your lungs and airways. Find out about the symptoms of coronavirus and the steps to take to stop it spreading.
The latest guidance is changing. We've put together a page outlining the latest government guidance and what it might mean for you.
Coronavirus, also called COVID-19, is part of a family of viruses that includes the common cold and more serious respiratory illnesses such as SARS.
It affects your lungs and airways. For many people, it causes mild symptoms, while for others it can be much more serious and require hospital treatment.
All viruses can mutate and change over time. Sometimes these changes can affect the way a virus behaves - for example, it can become more infectious and pass more easily from person to person.
Scientists in the UK and around the world have been tracking coronavirus strains as they have emerged over the last two years. When scientists have evidence that a particular strain may have changed in ways that make it more likely to make people ill, it is officially labelled a ‘variant of concern’. The most recent variant of concern has been called Omicron.
Coronavirus is very infectious, which means it spreads very easily.
It spreads in much the same way as the common cold or flu – through infected respiratory droplets like coughs and sneezes – and passes from person to person. This can happen when:
Coronavirus mainly spreads through the air, which is why we are being advised to avoid poorly ventilated indoor spaces. Wearing a mask in crowded indoor spaces also reduces the spread of the virus by catching the droplets when people talk, cough and breathe. Washing our hands thoroughly and frequently, and wiping down surfaces with disinfectant can also help reduce the spread of the virus.
The average ‘incubation period’ – the time between coming into contact with the virus and experiencing symptoms – is 5 days, but it could be anything between 1 and 14 days.
People are most likely to spread the virus to other people when they are experiencing symptoms, which is why it is important to stay at home if you have symptoms or have tested positive for coronavirus.
However, don’t forget people can be infectious before they know they are ill.
Common symptoms of coronavirus include:
Other symptoms people are reporting include:
If you develop symptoms we advise that you stay home and avoid contact with others, especially with vulnerable people.
If your symptoms get worse, feel unmanageable, or you feel breathless, then you should call 111 or use NHS online.
The current guidance is in place for everyone – however, if you've ever been advised you are 'clinically extremely vulnerable' or have previously been advised to shield then you might want to take extra precautions to reduce the risk of catching coronavirus. These include:
You may be able to get support from NHS Volunteer Responders, who can help with delivering shopping and medication, giving lifts to medical appointments and providing check-in calls.
Also, other charities that help people affected by specific conditions have put together their own helpful information that might be relevant for you:
The health service is still open for you. You might be worried about the strain the NHS is under or be avoiding the GP or hospital because of coronavirus. But your medical needs are just as important as before. We have information about accessing the health service at the moment.
Just because the government's guidance has changed, it doesn't mean there aren't measures you can still take to reduce the risk of spreading or catching coronavirus:
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