What is coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a virus, which is a type of illness.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
The main symptoms of coronavirus are a cough, a high temperature and loss of taste or smell.
What to do if you think you have coronavirus
If you have one, some or all of the symptoms of coronavirus you should try to find out if have got it by checking your symptoms and getting a test.
Do not go to your doctors. Instead, contact NHS 111 straight away. You can do this online by visiting the NHS 111 online service to check your symptoms.
You can then get a free NHS test to check if you have coronavirus.
You may be told to stay at home and not be near other people for several days. This is called self-isolating.
When to self-isolate
If you or someone you live with has a high temperature or a cough you should stay at home completely - do not even go out to the shops or for exercise.
You will need to stay at home for 10 days.
How to help stop coronavirus spreading
To help stop the spread of coronavirus the government have said that people in England must stay at home.
You should only leave home to do things like shop for essentials (e.g. food), exercise or get medical treatment.
You should only be travelling to work if you really have to (if you cannot work from home).
As well as this, you can help to stop the spread of coronavirus by:
- washing your hands carefully and regularly
- follow social distancing rules
- wearing a face covering in public places like shops and on public transport.
How to wash your hands thoroughly
Doctors and nurses have told us that when washing your hands you should follow these steps:
- Wet your hands under warm running water
- Apply a small amount of soap
- Rub your hands together and make sure that the soap and water cover all over your hands
- Carefully wash your palms, the backs of your hands, your fingertips, thumbs, your wrists and nails
- Rinse your hands under running water
- Dry your hands thoroughly.