![]() ![]() Hunter says this is broadly sensible since people tend to be at their most infectious in the early stage of infection and while symptomatic. The requirement to self-isolate for five full days (which was previously 10 days) has been replaced with advice to avoid others “until you no longer have a high temperature (if you had one) or until you no longer feel unwell”. Do I need to self-isolate and, if so, how long for? For children, the advice is that those with mild symptoms (runny nose, slight cough) can continue to attend school, but those who have a temperature or are feeling unwell should stay at home until they feel better. There is no longer a legal requirement for people to test or self-isolate, but if you have any of the main symptoms or a positive test result, the public health advice is to stay at home, avoid contact with other people and to try to work from home. I don’t want to make people feel uncomfortable and there will be people who will feel they have to carry on wearing masks to be safer.” What should I do if I have symptoms? “If it’s not really crowded but lots of other people are wearing masks, I’ll still put one on as a courtesy. “If I go into a shop and it’s crowded I’ll put on a face covering,” said Hunter. “The evidence for this isn’t cast-iron, but it’s likely to be the case,” said Hunter.įor many, there is also an element of etiquette. The extra layer of protection also means that if you are exposed to Covid, you are likely to receive a lower dose of the virus, which could reduce the severity of symptoms you experience if infected. Masks are no longer mandatory, but there is evidence that they reduce transmission in crowded indoor spaces and when in prolonged proximity to others, such as on public transport. So testing before meeting indoors with people who may be at greater risk is worth considering – especially until the next rollout of booster doses.įor children, the advice is that testing is not recommended unless you are directed to do so by a health professional. This is especially the case for those who had their last vaccine dose six months ago and are now due a booster. While for most individuals Covid is now less of a risk than seasonal flu, this is not the case for everybody – older people and those who are immunocompromised remain at particular risk. “I’d partly do this because once I’ve had it, I’ll be more comfortable about my risk going forward,” he said. ![]() Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, suggests taking a test, if possible, if you have symptoms. There is no legal requirement to test, but given that Covid symptoms overlap with seasonal respiratory infections and hay fever, without testing there is no clear way to know if you’re infected. The official end of free testing kits (although they have been hard to come by for some time) means people who are not shielding have to pay about £2 a test from a chemist or supermarket. Far fewer people are reporting an altered sense of taste or smell in the latest wave. The latest data from the Zoe app suggests the most common current symptom for those with Covid is a runny nose (reported by eight out of 10 people), followed by fatigue, a sore throat, headache and sneezing. The government has updated its official list of Covid-19 symptoms on the NHS to include nine new symptoms, that join the previous three of a fever, a new and persistent cough, and a loss or change in taste or smell, according to nhs.uk.Įxtending the list may help reduce infections by helping people detect whether they may have Covid however, it coincides with the end of the offer of free universal Covid-19 tests in England to help people confirm whether they have the virus.Ī note on the website states: “The symptoms are very similar to symptoms of other illnesses, such as colds and flu.”
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