Understanding and complying with the Government’s guidance is of vital importance during the coronavirus outbreak, and in particular knowing what to do if you or anyone else in your household develops coronavirus symptoms.
You must stay at home if you have either:
- a high temperature – you feel hot to touch on your chest or back
- a new, continuous cough – this means you've started coughing repeatedly
- a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste
If you or someone you live with has symptoms of coronavirus:
- do not leave your home for any reason – if you need food or medicine, order it online or by phone, or ask someone to deliver it to your home
- do not have visitors in your home – including friends and family
- do any exercise at home – you can use your garden, if you have one
To protect others, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.
If you live with someone who has symptoms, you must self isolate for 14 days from the day their symptoms started.
If you get symptoms while self isolating you should self isolate for 7 days from when your symptoms started, even if it means you are self isolating for longer than 14 days.
If you do not get symptoms while self isolating you can stop self isolating after 14 days.
If your symptoms are mild, you can usually look after yourself at home. However, if you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home or your symptoms get worse and you are not sure what to do, use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service. Call your GP surgery or NHS111 if you cannot get help online, or your symptoms worsen.
Speaking on behalf of the 4 Black Country Directors of Public Health, Lisa McNally from Sandwell, Bal Kaur from Dudley and Stephen Gunther from Walsall, Wolverhampton’s Director of Public Health John Denley said: “We would like to thank everyone for their support in staying at home during this difficult time.
“However, it is vitally important that people continue to follow self isolation guidelines – particularly for people who may be living with someone who is showing signs of the virus – to help minimise the overall amount of infection your household could pass on to others in the community.
“Whilst staying at home can be frustrating and inconvenient it is important that we all do our bit and work together.”
The latest information and guidance around coronavirus is available at Coronavirus (COVID 19). There’s lots of advice on how people can protect themselves and their families from coronavirus from the NHS at Coronavirus (COVID-19).
