How To Keep Safe...Your Questions Answered

From self-isolating to how best to avoid catching coronavirus, Cyril Dixon reveals the facts and dispels the myths surrounding the pandemic currently sweeping across Britain and the world

- Cyril Dixon

How do I know if I have got it?

Symptoms include coughing, raised temperature and a shortness of breath. However, these are very similar to those for flu. Experts say the hallmark for Covid-19 is the breathing difficulty. Other symptoms can include aches and pains, nasal congestion, sore throat or diarrhoea.

Those in most danger – like older people with existing medical conditions – are likely to exhibit more dramatic symptoms. Obviously, you are more likely to have coronavirus if you have been exposed to it.

How could I have been exposed to it?

You will have caught it from someone else who has it, either here or in one of the higher concentration zones abroad. The disease is spread by respiratory droplets coughed up or breathed out through the nose or mouth by a carrier.

You become infected when you unwittingly absorb these globules through your eyes, nose or mouth.

This can be directly while airborne or if the patient touches a surface they have landed on and then rubs their face. The symptoms can take up to 14 days to appear but on average, should show within five.

Can an infected person spread the virus even if they do not show symptoms?

Yes, the virus can be spread when a person does not show any symptoms, but they are most contagious when they are most symptomatic.

What should I do if I exhibit the symptoms?

NHS experts advise anyone who thinks they may have the virus to self-isolate by staying at home.

Bearing in mind that you may risk infecting other people or may simply have flu, they advise you not to go to your GP surgery or the local pharmacy or hospital. Instead, look up advice on the special NHS 111 online coronavirus service.

Can it be treated?