Coronavirus COVID 19 – Chameleon Office Information

As more and more cases of the Coronavirus known as COVID-19 are being discovered in the UK, it is our internal responsibilty to ensure we understand as much as we can to help prevent the spread of the virus.

When entering the office it is important to consider others and if you feel unwell consider if you should be coming into work. If you have a cold it may be nothing more than a common call and not at all related to the Coronorvirus, however we ask that you think about if coughing you ensure that you follow the guidelines to prevent spreading germs.

If you’re concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on your existing travel plans, check with your airline, tour operator, cruise line or other transport and accommodation providers as applicable. Individual providers may also have their own requirements for customers or passengers to meet.

Entry restrictions

Many countries in Asia and some further afield have introduced screening measures and entry restrictions at border crossings and transport hubs. If you have recently been in China or other affected countries, you may not be allowed to enter or transit, or you may be required to enter a period of quarantine after entry.

Screening measures on arrival may include temperature checks, and you could be asked about your general health or recent travel history. Where these checks identify a concern, further medical checks may be required.

Air travel

Some airlines, including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, have suspended flights to and from China, or revised their schedules. Other flights in the region may also be affected. If you’re due to travel on an affected route, keep up to date with the latest information from your travel company or airline.

International cruises

Some cruise line passengers have experienced disruption to their travel as a result of measures taken by individual countries to combat coronavirus. The Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) has adopted an enhanced member health policy which all CLIA ocean member cruise lines are required to follow to address the coronavirus. This includes guidance on who should be permitted to board cruise ships. If you are due to travel on an international cruise, contact your travel company for the latest information.

Travel insurance

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has produced information on travel insurance implications following the outbreak. If you have any further questions about your cover or would like further reassurance, you should contact your travel insurance provider.

If there’s a chance you could have coronavirus, call 111 and isolate yourself from other people.

This means you should:

• stay at home
• not go to work, school or public areas
• not use public transport or taxis
• ask friends, family members or delivery services to carry out errands for you
• try to avoid visitors to your home – it’s OK for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food

You may need to do this for up to 14 days to help reduce the possible spread of infection.

What are the symptoms of the Coronavirus ?

The virus gets into your body from the mouth mainly and then you start to become feverish with a high temperature reaching 40 degrees. This is then followed by a dry cough which is on the chest. The cough can be severe and cause shortness of breath and breathing difficulites.

Another syptom is muscle pain and feeling tired.

After a week, it leads to shortness of breath and some patients require hospital treatment.

The incubation period between infection and showing any symptoms can lasts up to 14 days according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Information on COVID-19 including epidemiology, virology and clinical features.

On 31 December 2019, WHO was informed of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. A novel coronavirus (SARS coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)) was subsequently identified from patient samples.

This document contains information for clinicians and the public on the epidemiology and virology of COVID-19, the infection caused by SARS-CoV-2.

There may be further information specific to each country in the United Kingdom, as this guidance was written by Public Health England primarily for an English health professional audience.

Virology

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses with some causing less-severe disease, such as the common cold, and others causing more severe disease such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronaviruses.

Nomenclature and characterisation

On 11 February, WHO named the syndrome caused by this novel coronavirus COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) using its best practice guidance.

The Coronavirus Study Group (CSG) of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses has designated the aetiological agent ‘severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2’ (SARS-CoV-2). Characterisation of SARS-CoV-2 is ongoing. Initial information shared by China and WHO indicates that SARS-CoV-2 is a beta-coronavirus that is genetically similar to SARS-like coronaviruses obtained from bats in Asia.

Transmission

The source of the outbreak has yet to be determined. Preliminary investigations identified environmental samples positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan City, however some laboratory-confirmed patients did not report visiting this market. A zoonotic source to the outbreak has not been identified yet, but investigations are ongoing.

Although evidence is still emerging, information to date indicates human-to-human transmission is occurring. Hence, precautions to prevent human-to-human transmission are appropriate for both suspected and confirmed cases (see infection prevention and control guidance).

We do not know the routes of transmission of COVID-19; however, other coronaviruses are mainly transmitted by large respiratory droplets and direct or indirect contact with infected secretions. In addition to respiratory secretions, other coronaviruses have been detected in blood, faeces and urine.

Under certain circumstances, airborne transmission of other coronaviruses is thought to have occurred via unprotected exposure to aerosols of respiratory secretions and sometimes faecal material.

Clinical features

Initial clinical findings from patients to date have been shared by China and WHO. Fever, cough or chest tightness, and dyspnoea are the main symptoms reported. While most patients have a mild illness, severe cases are also being reported, some of whom require intensive care.

A variety of abnormalities may be expected on chest radiographs, but bilateral lung infiltrates appear to be common (similar to what is seen with other types of viral pneumonia).