Coronavirus (Covid-19) - Public Health Advice

Stay at home for 7 days if you have either:

• a high temperature (over 37.8°C)
• a new, continuous cough

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.

You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you're staying at home.

Read our advice about staying at home.

The NHS website includes some helpful practical advice about how to prevent the virus from spreading, including:

• covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze.
• putting tissues in the bin straight away.
• washing your hands with soap and water often.
• avoiding close contact with people who are unwell.

The symptoms of coronavirus are:

• a cough
• a high temperature
• shortness of breath.

But these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have the illness.

The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu.

If there's a chance you could have coronavirus, you may be asked to stay away from other people (self-isolate).

This means you should:

• stay at home
• not go to work, school or public places
• not use public transport or taxis
• ask friends, family members or delivery services to do errands for you
• try to avoid visitors to your home – it's OK for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food.

You may need to do this for up to 14 days to help reduce the possible spread of infection.

Read more coronavirus self-isolation advice.

The British Veterinary Association are expecting advice and guidance from Defra for both pet owner and veterinary surgeons shortly. In the meantime, They advise the following precautionary measures:

• Remind all owners not to bring their pets to the surgery if they are self-isolating because of suspected or confirmed Covid-19.
• Consider delaying routine treatments and consults for pets belonging to people who are self-isolating.
• Draw up plans for dealing with emergency cases. These should aim to restrict any interaction with the owners and manage the risks associated with environmental contamination (eg on the fur of the animals). This may include:
  • asking owners to nominate a friend/family member from outside their home to bring the animal to your practice (there is no expectation that you will undertake home visits when it’s not safe to do so);
  • using PPE (similar to MRSA or Parvovirus cases) when examining and treating pets from a household where Covid-19 is suspected or confirmed;
  • designating a specific area of the practice for pets from a household where Covid-19 is suspected or confirmed
• Remember that the RCVS guidance on coronavirus states: “you may need to depart from the best practice advice set out in the guidance, in order to safeguard yourself and your colleagues, as well as public health.”

For more information please visit their website:

https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/news-article/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-updates-for-the-veterinary-profession/