Asthma sufferers and ANYONE who gets the flu jab should stay at home if possible, top doc warns
ASTHMA sufferers and anyone who gets the flu jab should stay at home where possible, one of Britain's top doctors has warned.
Jonathan Van-Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, urged people in "high risk categories" to ensure they are practising social distancing to protect themselves from the deadly bug.
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According to government guidance, social distancing means people should work from home, limit use of public transport and avoid unnecessary social gatherings to delay the spread.
The free flu jab is given on the NHS to those including adults 65 and over, people with certain medical conditions including asthma and pregnant women.
It comes a day after Boris Johnson announced new measures to tackle the growing coronavirus epidemic - in a bid to stop the death toll reaching 250,000.
The Government guidance is that people who are over 70, have an underlying health condition or are pregnant, are strongly advised to limit social interaction with friends and family, where possible.
In other developments:
- Brits told not to travel anywhere outside UK for at least 30 days
- Whole families with symptoms such as a cough or a temperature should stay at home for TWO WEEKS to stop spreading it on to anyone else
- From today, the Government will no longer support mass gatherings either, meaning concerts and all major sporting events are likely to be cancelled
- Boris Johnson vows to help low-paid workers cope with lockdown - and refused to rule out drastic curfews
- Govt will set out emergency legislation including extra powers to police and allow hospitals to send people home
- Chancellor will set out a new package of support for businesses hit by the outbreak
- Pregnant women will be told to avoid social contact with others too - sparking fresh fears for anyone expecting
- London is at the centre of the outbreak and was ahead of the rest of the country
- Schools will stay open for now - but they will be told to send kids with a cough home to stop the spread
It is thought to apply to around 20 million people, including adults under 70 who qualify for a flu jab due to an underlying health condition and people with chronic long-term respiratory diseases, such as asthma.
A further 1.4 million people - those with a suppressed immune system, eg. chemo patients - are advised to self-isolate for 12 weeks, to "shield" themselves from the bug.
It comes as the UK death toll soared to 55 yesterday - up from 37 the day before - with the number of cases hitting 1,543.
When asked about adults with asthma on BBC News this morning, Prof Van-Tam said: "I don't want to go into enormous detail into every single risk group but we are saying it is the people who are offered flu vaccines, other than children, who fit into that risk category, people for whom the advice is very strong about social distancing."
Who gets the free flu jab?
Flu vaccination is available every year on the NHS to help protect adults and children at risk of flu and its complications.
You're eligible for a FREE NHS flu vaccine if:
- You're over 65
- You're pregnant
- You have asthma or lung disease
- You have chronic heart disease
- You're diabetic
- You have a chronic kidney condition
- You have a chronic liver condition
- You've had a stroke
- You have an illness or are taking medicines that lower your natural defences
Anyone in these risk groups is more likely to develop potentially serious complications of flu, such as pneumonia (a lung infection), so it's recommended that they have a flu vaccine every year to help protect them.
And when it comes to children, Prof Van-Tam added: "Now, for children, I would say we don't have complete information - there is now beginning to be a fair bit of information and from China it is clear that children are not badly affected by the coronavirus.
"At the moment we can't say whether that is because they are not being infected in great numbers or whether in actual fact it's a very mild illness for children.
"What I can say is all the signals so far are that this illness is mild in children."
Asthma is a respiratory condition caused by inflammation of the breathing tubes that carry air to and from our lungs, and it currently affects over five million people across the UK.
People with asthma are not more likely to get coronavirus than anyone else.
But Covid-19, like any respiratory virus, may make people’s asthma worse, putting them at increased risk of asthma symptoms and even potentially life-threatening asthma attacks.
Jessica Kirby, Head of Health Advice at Asthma UK, said: "Asthma doesn’t make you more likely to get coronavirus, but unfortunately if people with long-term lung conditions like asthma get coronavirus, it can be more severe.
"People with lung conditions are more likely to experience complications and need hospital treatment.
If people with asthma get coronavirus it can be more severe
Jessica Kirby, Head of Health Advice at Asthma UK
"Any respiratory infection can cause problems for people with asthma, and so far, evidence shows that coronavirus is no different.
"The best thing you can do to reduce the risk of an asthma attack being triggered by a virus is to ensure your asthma is as well managed as possible – which means taking your preventer inhaler every day as prescribed, and keeping your reliever inhaler with you all the time so you can use it if your symptoms get worse.
"If your asthma symptoms get worse, and you haven’t travelled to an at-risk area or been in contact with someone who has, make an appointment to see your GP as soon as you can. If you think you might have coronavirus, use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service."
Jessica also said anyone having an asthma attack should follow the steps on their asthma action plan and call 999 for an ambulance if needed.
She added: "The best thing people with asthma can do to cut the risk of getting coronavirus is to follow the NHS guidance, which is regularly updated."
Prof Van-Tam also said that the government are giving "strong advice about self-isolation" for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
This is because people with diabetes face greater risks of complications when dealing with viral infections like flu, and that is likely to be true with Covid-19.
As well as taking care of your asthma, there are some straightforward steps everyone can take to lower the risk of getting and spreading coronavirus:
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water.
- Use tissues to wipe your nose or catch sneezes, and then bin them straight away.
- Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
- Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands aren’t clean.
- Follow the to stay at home for seven days if you have a temperature and/or a new continuous cough. We know this advice may be confusing for people with asthma as many of you will get asthma coughs regularly. If you're not sure what kind of cough it is, please speak to your GP, use the or call 111 to ensure that you get the right care.
- Public Health England doesn’t recommend wearing a facemask. Some people with lung conditions say they find wearing a mask makes breathing more difficult.
Source: Asthma UK
This is because when glucose levels are fluctuating or elevated consistently, they have a lower immune response - meaning less protection against the bug.
Prof Van-Tam later clarified whether people will need to self-isolate for another 14 days if another person in their household falls ill at the end of 14 days of self-isolation.
He told Dan Walker on the BBC: "No, you do not. There are two rules that will essentially run together.
"As you know, we already announced that it was important for for individuals with symptoms of coronavirus to isolate for seven days.
"That rule if you like kind of holds but in addition now, the first case in a household will trigger the entire household isolation for 14 days.
"And it is entirely plausible that somebody else will develop the coronavirus during that 14 day period.
"And if it is on day two of the fortnight, they are likely to have recovered by the end of the fortnight.
"If it's on day 12 of the fortnight with two days left to run then of course the chances that they will be fully recovered by day 14 are low and that person should stay in for seven days and everybody else who is well leaves the house at 14 days."
Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday announced that all Brits should avoid pubs, clubs and theatres, stop all non-essential contact and travel, and work from home if they can.
He set out the need for "drastic action" to tackle the "fast growth" of coronavirus across the UK as increased social distancing measures are introduced for the population.
As part of the measures, anyone living in a household with somebody who has either a persistent cough or fever must now also isolate themselves for 14 days.
All people should avoid gatherings and crowded places, while people who are vulnerable - including those who are elderly - will need to undertake even more drastic measures.
