What is Coronavirus?
There has been lots of information on the news about Coronavirus.
Coronavirus was first reported in China but has spread to lots of countries because of people travelling from country to country.
It could be like flu and when you cough it spreads the virus.
It is important to cover your hand and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, put the tissues in a bin and wash your hands after coughing or sneezing.
Wash your hands more often with hot water and soap.
You should wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.
Singing the song ‘Happy Birthday’ twice is about 20 seconds.
You can also use hand sanitiser to keep your hands clean.
Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.
This stops viruses from spreading.

You can find some easy read posters from Photo symbols here
How to stay safe http://bit.ly/39DdEBL

What to do if you get ill http://bit.ly/3aSw55y

Coronavirus and health issues http://bit.ly/39Sx8T1

How do you get Coronavirus?
The NHS know that you can catch Coronavirus if you have been to one of the countries where lots of people have the virus in the last few weeks.
The list of countries is changing all of the time so for the latest advice about travelling to other countries you can check here
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus
The NHS know that you can catch Coronavirus if you have been close to someone who has the virus.
The NHS knows that it can make some people very poorly and even die.
Some people can become very poorly if they get Coronavirus. These are people who already have long term conditions like cancer, lung disease, diabetes and people who are older.

What are the things to look out for if you feel ill?
The NHS know that the things you have wrong when you have Coronavirus are
• A cough
• A high temperature
• Shortness of breath – this is trouble breathing normally
If you have these things wrong, it does not mean you have Coronavirus.
Flu, colds and other viruses can cause these things.
If you have these symptoms and you have
• Been to one of these countries where lots of people have the virus in the last few weeks
• Been close to someone who has been told they do have the virus by a doctor.
Then you may have coronavirus

What to do if you think you have Coronavirus, a cold, a new cough or a high temperature
You should not go to your Doctors if you think you have the virus, a cold, a new cough or a high temperature
You should stay at home and telephone 111 if you do not start to feel better or you get worse.
You need to stay at home and not to be near other people, this is called self- isolation for at least 14 days.
You might be asked to stay at home for 14 days so you would need to tell someone like your family, or care provider if you need help.
If you do have the virus you might be taken to hospital to make sure you get the right treatment to make you better.
This is to stop it spreading.

What to do if you feel ill with something else
If you are feeling ill for anything else, you can still contact your doctor to make an appointment. Some doctors are talking to people on the telephone instead of you going to the doctors.
It is only if you think you have the virus, a cold, a new cough or a high temperature you are asked to stay at home and telephone 111. This is only if you are getting worse or are really worried.
The NHS 111 telephone number is for people to use if you need urgent help.
If you think someone is at risk of dying from things like a heart attack you still need to telephone 999 as this is an emergency.

How to self-isolate
Self-isolation is about staying away from people.
This can be tricky as you might live with other people.
The government are now asking people who live with you who might not be ill to self-isolate too.
Everyone is to self-isolate in a house where one person has a new cough, a cold or a temperature.

The things you can do are
• Try to stay about 2 meters (this is 3 steps) from other people in your home
• Ask friends, family, providers who do not live with you to get things like your food shopping and medicine and leave outside your front door
• Try to stay away from older people or people with long term health problems
• Drink lots of water and take painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen to help if you have a temperature, cough or cold
• Make sure if you live with other people you stay in your own room as much as you can
• Clean the bathroom after you use it
• Clean things you touch when you move around the house
If you have a job and are worried about being paid if you have to self-isolate or have the coronavirus
You should speak to your manager about what happens if
• You have to stay home to look after someone who has been told to stay indoors for 14 days, this is called self- isolation.
• You have to stay indoors and not be near other people for 14 days because you might have the Coronavirus.
• You have been told you do have the Coronavirus.

People who work are sometimes entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP – this is the rules the government sets for people getting sick pay) or your own company might have some sick pay rules.
The government have changed their rules and if you are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay then you can be paid from the first day you are off work.
To get Statutory Sick Pay you have to have earned £118 per week as an average over 8 weeks. This is quite hard to work out. Ask your employer to work it out for you.
If you cannot get statutory sick pay, then you might be able to get Universal Credit or Employment Support Allowance.

There is a form for your employer to complete here http://bit.ly/3aQZyx5.
This is a form used for evidence to take to the benefits office to see if you can claim Universal Credit or Employment Support Allowance.
The Government and their plan to stop Coronavirus spreading
You might have seen lots of things on the news that are making you worried.
You might have heard about the government having a plan.
The plan is called the coronavirus action plan: a guide to what you can expect across the United Kingdom.
The plan talks about things like making sure that
• Hospitals and doctors have plans in place to find out if someone has the coronavirus and they are kept away from other people (isolated)
• People who have been abroad or are visiting the United Kingdom are checked to make sure they are well when they arrive
• There is enough equipment, medicine and people to look after anyone who gets the Coronavirus
• People are told what they need to do to stop them getting or spreading the coronavirus. This is the things like washing hands.
Part of the plan has been put into place now to stop lots of people catching the Coronavirus.
This includes stopping people from going to large events or going to places where there are lots of people.
• Avoid pubs, clubs, cinemas and theatres or places with lots of people
• Not going to places or travelling if it is not urgent or necessary. This is called non-essential contact or travel
• Asking people who can work from home to stay at home and work
The Government is also asking people who are over 70 years old or have other health conditions to think about trying to stay away from other people.
This might last for up to 12 weeks and the government will tell us more when they update their plan.
You can find information about people who are at risk and need to try to stay away from other people here http://bit.ly/2IUTIys
Having your own plan

You need to think about a plan if you are asked to stay at home and not be near other people. (Self-Isolation)
It might be a plan about things like
• who can get you food shopping?
• who can telephone you to check you are alright?
• what you will do about the support or care you have each day?
• what to do if your supporter/carer is ill and cannot care for you

If you have a provider or are part of a self-advocacy group, you should talk to them about your worries and concerns.
Where can you find more information
You can find daily updates on the government website
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-information-for-the-...
or you can find more information on the NHS Website
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
You can find more information here about work rules https://www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus
You can find more information on the government’s plan
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-action-plan/coron...
The updates and information are not easy read so you might need some support to read the information.