53 people have now tested positive for COVID-19 on the Isle of Wight, Public Health England has revealed.
Official figures released this afternoon (Easter Sunday) confirm that the number of cases has increased from 45 on Friday to 53 today.
Despite the rise, the Isle of Wight has one of the lowest numbers of confirmed cases in the country. That said, there will be many other people infected with the virus across the Island who have not been tested.
Nationally, the number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 stands at 84,279 (as of 12th April). There have been 10,612 deaths, including 10 locally.
As of Thursday, a total of 9 people admitted to St Mary’s Hospital, who previously tested positive for COVID-19, have been discharged.
The British Army has begun work to transform 3 buildings at the St Mary’s Hospital site in Newport into fully functioning wards, increasing bed capacity by 200. It is thought that beds have been removed from the disused Camp Hill prison to assist with the efforts.
For the latest information on coronavirus here on the Isle of Wight visit islandecho.co.uk/category/coronavirus.
Symptoms of coronavirus
Stay at home if you have either:
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-right" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-right" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-right" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] shortness of breath.
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-right" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] To protect others, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Stay at home.
The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu. Research shows it takes, on average, around 5 days for symptoms to start showing.
Use the 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do.
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-right" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] Use the 111 coronavirus service for information.
Only call 111 if you cannot get help online.
How long to stay at home
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-right" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] if you have symptoms of coronavirus, you'll need to stay at home for 7 days.
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-right" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] if you live with someone who has symptoms, you'll need to stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person in the home started having symptoms
[mks_icon icon="fa-exclamation-circle" color="#dd9933" type="fa"] If you live with someone who is 70 or over, has a long-term condition, is pregnant or has a weakened immune system, try to find somewhere else for them to stay for 14 days.
[mks_icon icon="fa-exclamation-circle" color="#dd9933" type="fa"] If you have to stay at home together, try to keep away from each other as much as possible.
Read the NHS advice about staying at home.
How to avoid catching and spreading coronavirus (social distancing)
Everyone should do what they can to stop coronavirus from spreading.
[mks_icon icon="fa-check" color="#81d742" type="fa"] Do
[mks_icon icon="fa-check" color="#81d742" type="fa"] wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
[mks_icon icon="fa-check" color="#81d742" type="fa"] always wash your hands when you get home or into work
[mks_icon icon="fa-check" color="#81d742" type="fa"] use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
[mks_icon icon="fa-check" color="#81d742" type="fa"] cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
[mks_icon icon="fa-check" color="#81d742" type="fa"] put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards
[mks_icon icon="fa-check" color="#81d742" type="fa"] avoid close contact with people who have symptoms of coronavirus
[mks_icon icon="fa-check" color="#81d742" type="fa"] only travel on public transport if you need to
[mks_icon icon="fa-check" color="#81d742" type="fa"] work from home, if you can
[mks_icon icon="fa-check" color="#81d742" type="fa"] avoid social activities, such as going to pubs, restaurants, theatres and cinemas
[mks_icon icon="fa-check" color="#81d742" type="fa"] avoid events with large groups of people
[mks_icon icon="fa-check" color="#81d742" type="fa"] use a phone, online services, or apps to contact your GP surgery or other NHS services
[mks_icon icon="fa-times" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] Don't
[mks_icon icon="fa-times" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean
[mks_icon icon="fa-times" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] do not have visitors to your home, including friends and family
Advice for people at high risk
If you're at high risk of getting seriously ill from coronavirus, there are extra things you should do to avoid catching it.
These include:
[mks_icon icon="fa-times" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] not leaving your home – you should not go out to do shopping, visit friends or family, or attend any gatherings
[mks_icon icon="fa-times" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] avoiding close contact with other people in your home as much as possible
Read the full advice on protecting yourself if you're at high risk from coronavirus on GOV.UK.
Who is at high risk?
You may be at high risk from coronavirus if you:
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-right" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] have had an organ transplant
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-right" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] are having certain types of cancer treatment
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-right" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] have blood or bone marrow cancer, such as leukaemia
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-right" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] have a severe lung condition, such as cystic fibrosis or severe asthma
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-right" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] have a condition that makes you much more likely to get infections
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-right" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] are taking medicine that weakens your immune system
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-right" color="#e30f13" type="fa"] are pregnant and have a serious heart condition
If you're at high risk, you will be contacted by the NHS by Sunday 29 March 2020. Do not contact your GP or healthcare team at this stage – wait to be contacted.
How coronavirus is spread
Because it's a new illness, the NHS does not know exactly how coronavirus spreads from person to person.
Similar viruses are spread in cough droplets.
It's very unlikely it can be spread through things like packages or food.
Pregnancy advice
If you're pregnant and worried about coronavirus, you can get advice about coronavirus and pregnancy from the Royal College of Obstretricians and Gynaecologists.
Travel advice
There are some countries and areas where there's a higher chance of coming into contact with someone with coronavirus.
If you're planning to travel abroad and are concerned about coronavirus, see advice for travellers on GOV.UK.
Treatment for coronavirus
There is currently no specific treatment for coronavirus.
Antibiotics do not help, as they do not work against viruses.
Treatment aims to relieve the symptoms while your body fights the illness.
You'll need to stay in isolation, away from other people, until you have recovered.
More information
GOV.UK: coronavirus action plan
GOV.UK: information on coronavirus and the situation in the UK
NHS England: coronavirus for health professionals
Obviously the rise in case is concerning, however little or no information about this is given, could the rise be due to several cases in one care home for example or are there individual cases spread over the Island. I hope that the figure of 9 for people recovered and discharged is higher, this never seems to be updated. From what I have seen over the last 3 weeks Islanders seem to be sticking to the rules.
These are only figures from hospital patients and not community. At present there is no numbers for care homes, private addresses or any other location. All the numbers you see are hospital infections, deaths and recoveries.
We are definitely in the thick of things now so all you idiots out there not listening to the government guild lines it’s about time you did…we no it’s hard staying in etc but we are all in it together now so let’s survive it together
Stay at home, keep safe! This number is only going to rise if such people like the neighbours decided to take their jet ski out with a friend for the afternoon and although escorted off the water and sent home by police once, have gone out again! We talk about stopping visitors but for some, very sadly, we need to look closer to home for the cause of the rising numbers.
Report them if they keep going out. Neighbours or not it’s your lives they’re risking
Easy solution…..The Police impound the jet ski until after this virus has run its course. Charge them £1000 to get it back and if they don’t pay within 7 days then sell it and give the money to charity.
The worst virus this planet has, is the human race. We have and continue to do more damage than any virus…
Even COVID 19 is man made…….China comes to mind…
I agree with the first part of your comment, but as for this coronavirus being man made…
Nature, random mutation & natural selection is far better at making pandemic viruses than man ever will be.
Daemy, I don’t know why you got some thumbs down here as from a scientific point of view you correct.
Sadly still plenty of the usual suspects out and about as they normally are. I thought members of one household are allowed to go out for exercise, but does this include a large family going out en masse taking up the whole pavement and looking as though they are heading to the beach, which means at least a half hour walk from where I saw them? Hardly exercising near to where they live,
Still seeing old people out too, I’m not complaining about the fact there are old people out, but I thought they were told to stay in for 12 weeks, not even to go out for exercise or shopping, that is what I read, and yet plenty of old people out.
Hopefully we carry on sticking to the rules and it won’t last long.
The peak isn’t here yet what we need to remember the peak on the island will be two to three weeks behind the mainland
Are my calculations correct – 53 diagnosed, 9 of whom have been discharged, but 10 have sadly died. so, St Mary’s have 34 currently in hospital. do we know how many of these are in ICU?
hmm
The problem with these figures are they give a false sense of security I am sure I have the virus have been poorly for three weeks breathing not good cannot get any help from medical staff as at home. But starting to improve now I have not been out at all but caught it somewhere I think in a supermarket.