Coronavirus: Advice & FAQ’s

Written on 06-Mar-2020

The Coronavirus is a challenging health issue and the government and health experts are constantly reviewing the situation. As such, while this guidance is up to date from the REC at the time of writing – it will be updated as and when any changes are required.

The health and safety of all our temporary workers and employees is our top priority, so we have put together some helpful advice and tips for you to keep up to date with.

Government guidance

We advise you to stay updated with the government guidance – this is a fast-moving area and the guidance is being updated daily at 2 p.m.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): latest information and advice on the gov.uk website includes:

Advice from the FCO (foreign and commonwealth office) which particularly relates to anyone travelling to or back from countries and areas affected by the virus.
An updated list of countries/areas that are affected and advice about actions to be taken when returning to the UK form those places.
Guidance issued by Public Health England and the Department for Health.

Additional guidance is likely to be added to the gov.uk website so do review this regularly, putting ‘coronavirus’ into the search function.

Risk Level

Based on the World Health Organization’s declaration that this is a public health emergency of international concern, the UK Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk to the UK from low to moderate.

What are the symptoms of Coronavirus?

At the time of writing the common symptoms are:

Respiratory symptoms
Fever, cough
Shortness of breath
Breathing difficulties

How can I ensure my hygiene protects myself and others?

The current guidance is to:

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 immediately
Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell
Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean

I have recently travelled to an affected area – what steps should I take?

The countries and regions that are categorised as ‘affected areas’ are being updated regularly. You should check via the latest government guidance which countries have been affected and the latest guidance for travellers to those places.

At the time of writing, people who have returned from affected areas are being advised to stay away from their GP surgeries if they feel that that may have been exposed and to call 111 instead for medical advice.

The future

This global health incident is continually evolving and information is being updated on an ongoing basis.

Guidance issued at present may look very different to that issued in the coming days, weeks or months as the containment of the virus progresses.

What is important is that we remain vigilant, we communicate and we support each other.

Further information and when to seek medical assistance

Presently people are advised to contact the NHS 111 number if they feel unwell or if they may have been exposed to the Coronavirus. They should not go to the GP if as they could spread the virus if they have it.