The NHS has issued a 10-day Covid warning in a bid to reduce the spread of infection amid a rise in cases. According to the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Covid cases in England rose by 17.8 percent in one week while deaths increased by 27.3 percent.
In the week up to October 9 there were a total of 3,496 Covid cases – 529 more than the seven days prior. There were also 163 deaths (up by 35) and 2,622 hospital admissions (up by 149).
Although there are no longer any mandatory rules about self-isolation if you have Covid, the NHS still advises avoiding contact with others if becoming ill. The UK’s health body warns that COVID-19 spreads “very easily through close contact with people who have the virus”.
It explains: “When someone with COVID-19 breathes, speaks, coughs or sneezes, they release small droplets containing the virus. You can catch it by breathing in these droplets, or by touching surfaces covered in them and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
“You are more likely to catch it indoors and in crowded places.”
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The NHS added that you can still be infectious for “up to 10 days”. You can also still catch or spread COVID-19 if you:
- Do not have symptoms
- Are fully vaccinated
- Have had the virus before.
Therefore, if you test positive for Covid, the NHS says you should:
- Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for five days after the day you took your test if you are 18 years old or over
- Avoid meeting people who are more likely to get seriously ill from viruses, such as people with a weakened immune system, for 10 days after the day you took your test.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have tested positive, there are things you can do to help you avoid passing it on to other people, including those you live with:
- Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze and encourage children to do this
- Regularly clean surfaces you touch often (such as door handles and remote controls) and in shared spaces, such as kitchens or bathrooms
- Try to stay away from other people, including those you live with, until you feel better
- Let people who need to come into your home know that you’ve tested positive or have symptoms
- Think about asking friends, family or neighbours to get food and other essentials for you
- avoid indoor or crowded places (including public transport or large social gatherings) or places where there is not much fresh air if you need to leave your home
- Wear a face covering when it’s hard to stay away from other people
- Let healthcare professionals know about your positive test result or symptoms if you’re asked to attend an appointment in person.
This comes as a new variant is now thought to account for one in 10 Covid cases in the UK.
The XEC variant was first discovered in Germany and has since been found in 27 countries across Europe, Asia, and North America.
The global case count exceeds 600, including 82 confirmed instances within the UK.
It is thought to be highly transmissible due to a number of mutations it carries with experts believing it could become the dominant strain.
Symptoms
Symptoms of Covid can include:
- A high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
- A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- An aching body
- A headache
- A sore throat
- A blocked or runny nose
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea
- Feeling sick or being sick.
Booster jabs will be available until December 20 this year. They will be offered to those deemed most vulnerable to Covid, which include:
- Over-65s
- People aged between six months and 64 years with health conditions that make them more vulnerable
- People living in care homes for older people
- Frontline health and social-care staff, including in care homes for older people.
The NHS will contact eligible patients directly, but they can also book their own appointments now via the NHS App, GPs, pharmacies, drop-in clinics, or by calling 119. Anyone also entitled to the flu jab, will be offered this at the same time.
