Thread by @RenuBindra

From today, most people will no longer have access to free COVID testing. This morning we have published #publichealth guidance to reflect these changes 1/18

gov.uk/guidance/peopl…
If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as COVID-19, and you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work/carry out normal activities, public health advice is to try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people 2/18

Symptoms of COVID-19 and common respiratory infections include:
continuous cough
high temperature/fever/chills
loss of/change in normal sense of taste or smell
shortness of breath
unexplained tiredness, lack of energy
muscle aches or pains that are not due to exercise ... 3/18

... not wanting to eat or not feeling hungry
headache that is unusual or longer lasting than usual
sore throat, stuffy or runny nose
diarrhoea, feeling sick or being sick 4/18

If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, and a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work/carry out normal activities, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until you no longer have a high temperature/no longer feel unwell 5/18

Avoid close contact with anyone who you know is at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell if they are infected with COVID-19 and other respiratory infections, especially those whose immune system means that they are at higher risk of serious illness 6/18

Not everyone can work from home or stay at home. There is advice on what to do if you need to leave your home 7/18

There is also advice for children and young people. If they are unwell and have a high temperature they should stay at home and avoid contact with other people. They can go back to education when they no longer have a high temperature and they are well enough to attend 8/18

And finally, if you have a positive COVID-19 test result, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days after the day you took your test. Children or young person should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days 9/18

New guidance on living safely with respiratory infection gov.uk/guidance/livin…

Describes simple things you can do that will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections and protect those at highest risk 10/18

Remember you will not always know whether someone you come into contact with is at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from respiratory infections, including COVID-19 11/18

Public health advice includes:
1. getting vaccinated as soon as you are offered it
2. ventilation
3. good hand and respiratory hygeine
4. wearing face coverings or masks

See guidance for more details 12/18

Working with @NHSEngland we have also published gov.uk/government/pub…

NHS staff testing arrangements have changed england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/do…. Patient-facing healthcare staff will continue to test twice a week for COVID-19 13/18

Patient-facing healthcare staff who have symptoms of a respiratory infection, and who have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to attend work, should take an LFD test as soon as they feel unwell 14/18

If they test negative, they can attend work if they are clinically well enough to do so and they do not have a high temperature. This may be subject to a local risk assessment. Take the next LFD test 48 hours later 15/18

All healthcare staff who have received a positive test result, regardless of whether they have symptoms, are advised not to attend work for 5 days. Patient-facing healthcare staff can return to work following 2 negative LFD tests taken at least 24 hours apart 16/18

Patient-facing healthcare staff who are identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19 should continue with twice-weekly LFD testing and discuss with their line manager 17/18

There is separate guidance for adult social care staff. Staff with symptoms should take an LFD test as soon as they develop symptoms and another test 48 hours later. They should stay off work while waiting for the 2nd test result 18/18

Ok tweet 19/18 because I miscounted. The pandemic is not over. Infection rates are high. Stay safe everyone and #GetVaccinatedNow END