Coronavirus, or COVID-19, was first identified in China in December 2019. It can cause severe respiratory issues in vulnerable and older people.The virus responsible is named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

As it stands, there is currently no vaccine. A global effort is underway to develop one currently, but it may take some time. This is a newly identified virus with no human immunity and no concrete way to prevent infection. Antibiotics are not effective as this is a viral infection.

What if I have returned from abroad?

The majority of flights have been grounded during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, if you have recently been abroad, particularly to a known hotspot, a period of self isolation is recommended in case you are infected but are not showing symptoms.The latest government travel advice can be found here

Am I allowed to go outside during lockdown?

You are allowed to go out for essential shopping, to assist vulnerable people, or to work if you are an essential worker. The government also requires the closure of pubs, restaurants and other venues, and are stopping gatherings or more than two people in public.

COVID-360

Q: Should I self isolate?

Self isolation is staying at home, avoiding work, school and any public space, and not traveling on public transport or in taxis.According to Public Health England, everyone in a vulnerable group and those over 70 should self isolate for at least 12 weeks to protect themselves.If you have symptoms, you should not leave your house to avoid the spread of COVID-19 for at least 7 days. If you live with someone that has symptoms, you should self isolate for 14 days at least.Here is a Government chart around self isolation

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Tackling the impact of COVID-19, swiftly and successfully

When COVID-19 struck in early 2020, we sprang into action and created our COVID-360 action pack. A free collection of resources that have helped hundreds of businesses stay safe, keep afloat financially and recover faster from the biggest threat they’ve ever known.

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What’s inside my COVID-360 action pack?

Guide to reopening safely

Written by our world-class environmental health practitioners, this guide is designed to help businesses open their doors quickly and start trading again. The three key areas covered are employees, products and services, and property and equipment.

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Shutdown checklists

Our specially created checklists focus on what to do before closing a location, final ‘on-the-day’ checks, and ongoing weekly, monthly and quarterly checks to protect a business while it’s closed. You can download the checklists as a spreadsheet or access them via our app.

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COVID-19 advice line

If you’ve got questions about COVID-19 and your business, then call or email our expert environmental health practitioners. They can provide you with up-to-date guidance on cleaning procedures, incident controls, risk assessments and much, much more.

Converting to takeaway, food collections and food deliveries guidance

Learn how to diversify your business and start to safely provide takeaway, collection or delivery services. Our guidance includes three risk assessments we’ve specially created to ensure you keep your team and customers safe and sound at all times.

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Frequently asked questions

What is COVID-19?

On February 11, 2020 the World Health Organization announced an official name for the disease that is causing the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak, first identified in Wuhan China. The new name of this disease is coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19. In COVID-19, ‘CO’ stands for ‘corona,’ ‘VI’ for ‘virus,’ and ‘D’ for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as “2019 novel coronavirus” or “2019-nCoV”.

There are many types of human coronaviruses including some that commonly cause mild upper-respiratory tract illnesses. COVID-19 is a new disease, caused by a novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in humans.

Should I self isolate?

Self-isolation is when you do not leave your home because you have or might have coronavirus (COVID-19).

It is a legal requirement for someone to self-isolate if they have tested positive for COVID-19 or they have been told to do so by NHS Test and Trace.

If a person tested positive and they have symptoms they must self-isolate for 10 days from when the symptoms started.

If the person has not displayed symptoms, they must self-isolate for 10 days from when they had the test. If the person starts to display symptoms whilst self-isolating, the 10 days restarts from when the symptoms started.

Are some people more at risk than others?

People above 70 years of age and those with underlying health conditions (e.g. hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and cancer) are considered to be more at risk of developing severe symptoms. Men in these groups also appear to be at a slightly higher risk than females. Other factors, such as being from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background, or being from a poorer area have also been shown to raise the risk of developing more severe symptoms.

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