Covid-19
Looking After your Health and Wellbeing
• It’s important to look after your mental health and wellbeing. Its is ok to feel worried and anxious as we haven’t experienced anything like this before and things are changing so quickly.
Self -isolating and Social Distancing may make you feel lonely and more anxious. Here are some tips to help you self care
• Keep in touch with friends and family by using phones, video conversations (Microsoft have made their video software free to use) .
• Make sure you eat healthily, if you think you are going to need food or medicines , speak to friends , neighbours etc
• Make sure you sleep and rest . Sleeping helps support your body's ability to fight off infection
• Limit the amount of news you watch, read or listen to. It can feel overwhelming . If it
worries you, switch it off and only check once or twice a day
• Keep a routine , do things at home that you like doing
• Try to exercise , it doesn't have to be outside .
• Talk to people who can help; Mind have a list of organisations that can help
Coronavirus ~ COVID-19
What is it?
Coronaviruses can make humans and animals sick. Some Coro- Naviruses can cause illness like the common cold and others can cause more serious diseases, including Severe Acute Res- piratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). This new coronavirus started in Hubei Province, China. The virus was renamed (11th Feb 2020) SARS-CoV-2 and the disease the virus causes is now called COVID-19.
While coronavirus is of concern, it is important to remember that most people displaying symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat or tiredness are likely suffering with a cold or other respiratory illness, not coronavirus .
How is it spread?
The coronavirus is most likely to spread from person-to-person
through:
• Direct close contact with a person while they are infectious;
• Close contact with a person with a confirmed infection who coughs or sneezes, or;
• Touching objects or surfaces (such as door handles or tables) contaminated from a cough or sneeze from a person with a confirmed infection, and then touching your mouth or face.
How can we help stop it spreading?
Practising good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene is the best defence against most viruses. You must:
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, before and after eating and after going to the toilet.
• Cover your cough and sneeze, dispose of tissues and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
• If unwell, avoid contact with others (touching, kissing, hugging etc).
What do I need to do if I have symptoms?
The advice for anyone in any setting is to follow these main guidelines.
• The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of a new continuous cough and/or high temperature.
• If you have these symptoms, however mild, stay at home and do not leave your house for 7 days from when your symptoms started. If someone in your house has symptoms you must follow the NHS advice called ‘Stay at Home advice’
• You do not need to call NHS 111 to go into self-isolation. If your symptoms worsen during home isolation or are no better after 7 days, contact NHS 111 online.
• If you have no internet access, you should call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial 999.
• Wash your hands more often than usual, for 20 seconds using soap and hot water, particularly after coughing, sneezing and blowing your nose, or after being in public areas where other people are doing so.
• Use hand sanitiser if that’s all you have access to.
How long must I self - isolate for?
• if you have symptoms of coronavirus, you'll need to stay at home for 7 days.
• if you live with someone who has symptoms, you'll need to stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person in the home started having symptoms.
How do I self- isolate?
Staying at home can help stop coronavirus spreading. You will need to stay at home if you have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) or live with someone who does. Staying at home means you should:
• not go to work, school or public areas.
• not use public transport or taxis.
• not have visitors, such as friends and family, in your home.
• not go out to buy food or collect medicine – order them by phone or online, or ask someone else to drop them off at your home.
• You can use your garden, if you have one. You can also leave the house to exercise – but stay at least 2 metres away from other people.
What is Social Distancing?
Social distancing measures are steps you can take to reduce the social interaction between people. This will help reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19). They are:
• Avoid contact with someone who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). These symptoms include high temperature and/or new and continuous cough.
• Avoid non-essential use of public transport, varying your travel times to avoid rush hour, when possible.
• Work from home, where possible. Your employer should support you to do this. Please refer to employer guidance for more information.
• Avoid large gatherings, and gatherings in smaller public spaces such as pubs, cinemas, restaurants, theatres, bars, clubs.
• Avoid gatherings with friends and family. Keep in touch using remote technology such as phone, internet, and social media.
• Use telephone or online services to contact your GP or
other essential services.
• Everyone should be trying to follow these measures as far as possible.
Prepare4care ensure that all their Care Specialists are PCR tested weekly. This means that every single staff member is tested to ensure that the entire work force is free from COVID every single week. Prepare4care do not use the lateral flow tests, they only use the full NHS/Government recommended full PCR tests to ensure accurate results to protect the clients and their family/loved ones.
Our Care Specialists are offered the COVID and Flu vaccinations under the Government regulations.
Prepare4care have strict infection control and PPE measures. This means that every Care Specialist, that enters a clients property, must continue to wear a face mask that covers their mouth and nose fully, they wear aprons and gloves. They wash their hands after every task and disinfect all surfaces throughout the care visit.
