Coronavirus: Everything you need to know about the latest government advice on COVID-19
We answer your questions about what to do if you have symptoms, are pregnant, over 70 or have an underlying health condition.
Tuesday 17 March 2020 18:30, UK
The government has introduced strict new guidelines to protect people from COVID-19 and stop it spreading across the UK.
Here is everything you need to know about the new measures to fight the coronavirus.
What should I do?
The government is advising everyone - regardless of age or health - to stop all non-essential contact with others and stop all unnecessary travel.
They have also advised people to avoid all non-essential foreign travel for 30 days.
Boris Johnson said this meant people should stay away from social venues such as pubs, restaurants, clubs and theatres in order to slow the spread of the disease.
Who is vulnerable and what extra measures should they take?
People who are over 70, pregnant women and people with health conditions that would normally qualify them for a flu jab are all classed as being vulnerable to the disease.
These groups are being asked to be particularly stringent in following the social distancing measures.
However, the government says that in the coming days these groups are likely to be asked to ensure they are "largely shielded from social contact" for at least 12 weeks.
This could mean anyone in these groups being asked to stay at home except for important reasons, such as picking up supplies, exercise or attending health appointments.
Why have pregnant women been added to the at-risk group?
Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, said including pregnant women in the group of vulnerable people was a "precautionary measure".
He said experts were "early in our understanding of this virus" and currently had no evidence that the disease was worse for pregnant women or had any effects on unborn babies.
The CEO of the Royal College of Midwives, Gill Walton, has encouraged pregnant women not to totally isolate themselves.
"We would like to emphasise that attending antenatal and postnatal care when you are pregnant and have a new baby is essential to ensure the wellbeing of pregnant women and their babies, and we would urge all pregnant women who are well to attend their care as normal," she said.
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Do I have a relevant underlying health concern?
Anyone who has one of the following health conditions is considered to be higher risk.
- People with long-term respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis.
- People with chronic heart disease, such as heart failure; chronic kidney disease and chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis.
- People with chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson's disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), a learning disability or cerebral palsy.
- People with diabetes.
- People who have problems with their spleen, such as sickle cell disease or whose spleen has been removed.
- People with a weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and Aids, or medicines such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy.
- People who are seriously overweight (anyone with a BMI of 40 or above).
- People with high blood pressure
I'm over 70 but healthy, what should I do?
The prime minister admitted that many healthy people over 70 might be upset by the thought of being told to reduce their social contact despite having no health issues.
But he said the measures "are overwhelmingly worth it to slow the spread of the disease, reduce the peak, to save life, minimise suffering and give our NHS the chance to cope".
In other words, if you're over 70 and healthy you still need to be stringent in following the advice given, so that you stay healthy and help reduce demand on the NHS.
Should I work from home?
The advice is that you should work from home if you can, although the government acknowledges this won't be possible for everyone.
Will schools stay open?
Yes - for now.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, said school closures could be necessary in the future but that it was important measures were done at the right time to have the maximum effect.
Are children at risk from the disease?
Anyone of any age can catch the disease, but children seem to be relatively good at recovering from the illness.
The World Health Organisation says only one child that they know about has died from after getting the coronavirus.
Can I still attend large events?
The prime minister did not ban mass gatherings, but said they would no longer be supported by emergency workers and he advised people to avoid unnecessary social contact.
This means many events will be unable to go ahead, and organisers of many others are likely to cancel them.
Most sporting events and festivals have already been cancelled.
How long will these measures stay in place?
The current disruption could go on for several weeks.
"We should not be under any illusions that 'if we just do this for a couple of weeks that is sufficient'," said Professor Whitty.
What are the symptoms or COVID-19?
The two main symptoms of the coronavirus are a new, continuous cough and a high temperature.
The NHS says if you have a temperature you will feel hot to touch on your chest or back and a "new, continuous cough" simply means you have started coughing repeatedly.
You do not need to contact NHS 111 if you have symptoms.
But you should contact them if you feel like you cannot cope with your symptoms at home, your condition gets worse or your symptoms do not get better after seven day.
What should I do if I live on my own and have symptoms?
If you live on your own you should self-isolate for seven days.
This means you should not leave the house for any reason, including getting food from a shop.
You should only go out to exercise, and even then you must ensure you have no contact with anyone.
What should I do if I live with other people and have symptoms?
If you live with other people and one of you develops symptoms then you must all follow the same self-isolation rules as if you live on your own.
The only difference is that the whole household must isolate for 14 days.
This is because if one person has the disease then it may take five to seven days for it to be passed on to the rest of the house.
A further seven days of isolation is therefore required after that point, bringing the total time the household must stay in isolation to 14 days.