CORONAVIRUS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS COVID-19

What is coronavirus?

Coronavirus are a large family of viruses with some causing less-severe disease, such as the common cold.

How did COVID – 19 pandemic start?

On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) was informed of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.

On 12 January 2020, it was announced that a novel coronavirus had been identified in samples obtained from cases and that initial analysis of virus genetic sequences suggested that this was the cause of the outbreak. This virus is referred to as SARS-CoV-2 and the associated disease as COVID-19.

Transmission

SARS-CoV-2 is primarily transmitted between people through respiratory (droplet and aerosol) and contact routes. Transmission risk is highest where people are in close proximity (within 2 metres). Airborne transmission can occur in health and care settings in which procedures or support treatments that generate aerosols are performed. Airborne transmissions may also occur in poorly ventilated indoor spaces, particularly if individuals are in the same room together for an extended period of time.

At the moment, human-to-human transmission is occurring extensively. Hence precautions to prevent human-to-human transmissions are appropriate for both suspected and confirmed cases.

In addition to respiratory secretions, SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in blood, faeces and urine.

COVID-19 presents with a range of symptoms of varying severity. Asymptomatic infection also occurs often although frequency is not defined.

Clinical Features

More common symptoms are:

  • Fever
  • Shortness of breath
  • Fatigue
  • A new and continuous cough
  • Loss of smell
  • Loss of appetite
  • Loss of taste

Non-specific symptoms include:

  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath
  • Myalgia
  • Loss of appetite
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • Nasal congestion
  • Diarrhoea
  • Vomiting
  • Nausea

Some evidence suggest that people who have suffered from both mild or severe COVID-19 can experience prolonged symptoms or develop long term complications.

Risks of severe disease or death is higher in older people, male and from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME), certain underlying health conditions as well as obesity increase risk in adults.

All service users can be safely cared for at home or supported living by our care workers regardless of their COVID status provided the guidance on use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is correctly followed.

Getting the right PPE

PPE is a key part of infection prevention and control. Ensuring a supply of PPE is fundamental to protect our care workers and allow them to continue to safely provide personal care for our vulnerable service users during this COVID – 19 pandemic.

They include and not limited to: gloves, aprons, gowns, masks, visors, FFPE’s.

Get Tested for COVID-19

There are different ways to get tested for COVID-19 depending on if you have symptoms or not. To find out how to get tested, go to nhs.uk/get-tested.

How often should I take a COVID-19 test if showing no symptoms?

About 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not have symptoms but can still infect others. One should do a rapid test twice a week (every 3 to 4 days) to check if one has the virus.

What to do if one has symptoms of COVID-19?

If you have symptoms of COVID-19  – that is a cough, a temperature or loss of taste or smell – take immediate steps to book a test. Go straight to nhsinform.scot to get a test or call NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816. Don’t wait to see if you feel better before booking.

At Felicity Care, while 100% of care workers have had a single vaccine, 98% have been doubly vaccinated and the remaining 2% are scheduled to have the second dose as soon as these become available.

Also all our service users have had the double vaccine.