COVID-19
Stay up to date with everything that’s happening in our nation and world right now with the Corona Virus.
Stay in the know with everything that's happening with COVID-19
The latest from Downing Street
The prime minister is announcing strict new curbs on life in the UK to tackle the spread of coronavirus. From this evening people must stay at home except for shopping for basic necessities, daily exercise, any medical need and travelling to and from essential work. Shops selling non-essential goods will also be shut and gatherings in public of more than two people who do not live together prohibited.
Parks will remain open for exercise but gatherings will be dispersed.
Coronavirus symptoms: What are they and how do I protect myself?
How do I protect myself?
The best thing is regular and thorough hand washing, preferably with soap and water.
Coronavirus spreads when an infected person coughs small droplets – packed with the virus – into the air. These can be breathed in, or cause an infection if you touch a surface they have landed on, then your eyes, nose or mouth.
So, coughing and sneezing into tissues, not touching your face with unwashed hands, and avoiding close contact with infected people are important for limiting the spread.
Face masks do not provide effective protection, according to medical experts.
Source: BBC News, By James Gallagher Health and science correspondent
What are the coronavirus symptoms?
Coronavirus infects the lungs. The symptoms start with a fever followed by a dry cough, which can lead to breathing problems.
This is a new, continuous cough and means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or having three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual).
It takes five days on average to start showing the symptoms, scientists have said, but some people will get symptoms much later than this. In fact the World Health Organization (WHO) says the incubation period lasts up to 14 days.
