There has been another rise in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 on the Isle of Wight, although such a rise is not unexpected.
According to the latest data from Public Health England, a total of 145 cases have now been identified on the Island – a rise of 2 from yesterday.
The opening of a testing facility at Medina has undoubtedly added to the number of cases being discovered and verified. Previously, tests were only being carried out in hospital and therefore the cases represented Islanders who were fairly unwell with the virus. Now, tests are being carried out for key workers who state they have symptoms of coronavirus.
Over the coming weeks, swab tests will be delivered to households across the Isle of Wight as part of the contact tracing app trial. This will again increase the number of confirmed cases.
NHS England report that there have now been 28 coronavirus deaths in hospital, with the Office for National Statistics confirming 6 people have also died in the community as of 24th April.
The latest information from the Isle of Wight NHS Trust confirms 25 people have recovered from COVID-19 and have been discharged from hospital.
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
An extra two sounds trivial.
Yet as this only started with one, those two will have likely been in contact with many others before realising they had such.
Maybe in the supermarket, maybe they still worked, surely the authorities ask these victims where they have been and then contact anyone that they can?
Doesn’t need an App to use common sense.
Once these five targets are met, then watch case number go stratospheric:
The UK government has said that these five tests have to be met before they will consider easing coronavirus lockdown restrictions: Cut and copied from Yahoo website today.
The NHS has sufficient capacity to provide critical care and specialist treatment right across the UK
A sustained and consistent fall in daily deaths from Coronavirus
Reliable data to show that the rate of infection is decreasing to manageable levels across the board
Operational challenges including testing and personal protective equipment (PPE) are in hand with supply able to meet future demand
Confident that any adjustments to the current measures will not risk a second peak of infections that overwhelms the NHS
So, seems I was right all along. All HMG were waiting for is for deaths to become manageable, so we can all die in a hospital bed. As HMG would be shamed for a generation if so many died all at once and hospitals could not take us in.
Lets hope ministers are a good as their word (must happen sometimes) and that the Island won’t be used as a test bed to ease lockdown here unilaterally because we have the APP.
I feel very much the same. The Pandemic is no longer about statically data, lives lost or loved ones that are no longer with us. Political agenda prevails every time. It sickens me. Do NOT download the app. GET TESTED. The only true scientific, evidenced based practice is results. Getting tested is easy. And you can get tested again if you don’t currently have symptoms.
I got tested today on the advice of the NHS. I have mild symptoms.
It doent take the brains of an academic to see that once the lockdown eases, then the rate of infection will rise. Of course, we were all locked away in our homes away from the virus. Sweden had no lockdown so the chance of a second spike is very unlikely. But we will have a second spike, and can you guess how the government will address this? I will leave you to think about that one. I have a very good idea what they will do.
yes – all those that have hidden away indoors and have had zero exposure to the virus, will walk outside and a good percentage will be ill a week or two later and the sheeple will be wondering why the government hasn’t done something about this.
they cannot expect the entire natural environment outside their homes to be sanitised before they walk out the door.
The ferries would have been the main cause of the spread, with everyone packed on them. If everyone could have stayed in their own vehicles, like they would have if we had a fixed link, then we would only have a fraction of the cases! A link could easily be closed for non essential travellers, but still remain open for emergencies, food supplies etc, like they have done in other parts of the world.
solentfreedomtunnel.co.uk
Hmm….and that’s a surprise?