We are continuing to review our current practices and adapting our approach where appropriate; for example, how or if we can begin to facilitate single family contact in a safe way in outdoor public space. As the Government’s rules change we will change too if it’s safe to do so and if Public Health England (PHE) tell us this is okay.

It’s also essential that we continuously appraise the guidance we and our managers give our teams, that it is consistent and updated, compliant with latest law and underpinned by Health and Safety legislation. Yesterday the Government issued fresh advice on ensuring employees are safe at work and we are already digesting this information as a management team. Work is already underway on updating risk assessments as well as putting in place brand new measures to enhance even further the safety of our team in our collective fight against COVID-19.

Thank you for your continued support and stay safe!

Here is our ‘Staying Safe’ POSTER:

— Jane Montrose, Managing Director, Apple House Care Homes.

Here at Apple House care homes we want to reassure service users, their families, professionals, our staff and suppliers that we will deal with any suspected outbreak in accordance with published NHS and PHE guidelines. These guidelines cover what to do if a staff member or resident, or someone else connected to our homes, are diagnosed with COVID-19.

Incorporating the NHS guidance we have also developed our own contingency plan which includes how to keep people safe and comfortable, how to keep the home and ourselves clean, and how to ensure adequate stocks of food and medicines incase of a quarantine or lock-down situation.

We realise there could be considerable change if we need to isolate within our homes. This change might be quite significant for some people for whom change is difficult. We are therefore planning as best as we can and being creative within our services in order to keep life as normal as possible for people we support and our dedicated staff team.

We need you to help us please. As per NHS guidelines, please don’t visit any of our homes or our head office if you have travelled from any of the ‘red flag’ countries identified on the NHS website or if you have any symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in contact with someone confirmed as having the virus. Self isolation guidance is available HERE.

Furthermore, with immediate effect, we ask you to please consider whether your visit to our homes is essential or if it can be postponed. This is so that we can limit exposure to the virus and risk of contracting it for the more vulnerable individuals who reside with us and for our staff who might also have underlying health issues. We are not closed to visitors at this time but appreciate your extra consideration of non-essential visits. We are also able to offer Skype or telephone calls to family members who wish to use these methods of communication instead of visiting. Of course we continue to be guided by the NHS and will update this website accordingly in the future.

If you would like to see a copy of our Contingency Plan with latest Addendum 1, please contact us through this website or call one of our homes or head office and a copy can be emailed to you.

Please stay well and remember, Catch it, Bin it, Kill it. #WashYourHands

— Jane Montrose, Managing Director.

Please be assured that Apple House has in place its own robust emergency plans as well as stringent policies and procedures around infection control. The health of our staff team and those whom we support is key and we will remain vigilant and continue to monitor the situation. — Jane Montrose, Managing Director, Apple House care homes.

Situation in the UK

Two patients in England have tested positive for coronavirus. Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty, has shared a statement. If more cases are confirmed in the UK, it will be announced as soon as possible by the Chief Medical Officer of the affected country.

Based on the World Health Organization’s declaration that this is a public health emergency of international concern, the UK Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk to the public from low to moderate. This permits the government to plan for all eventualities.

The risk to individuals in the UK has not changed at this stage. Our advice for travellers from Wuhan and Hubei Province remains unchanged from the below and we have added further advice for travellers from elsewhere in China.

As of 31 January, a total of 177 UK tests have concluded, of which 175 were confirmed negative and 2 positive.

1,466 passengers and 95 staff arrived in the UK on direct flights from Wuhan between 10 and 24 January.

• 162 of the passengers have already left the UK
• 53 of the crew have already left the UK
• 866 are now outside of the incubation period

Public Health England are working to contact the remaining passengers.

We have been working in close collaboration with international colleagues and the World Health Organisation to monitor the situation in China and around the world.

The Department of Health and Social Care will be publishing updated data on this page on a daily basis at 2pm until further notice.

Information about the virus

A coronavirus is a type of virus. As a group, coronaviruses are common across the world. Typical symptoms of coronavirus include fever and a cough that may progress to a severe pneumonia causing shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

Generally, coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.

Novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) is a new strain of coronavirus first identified in Wuhan City, China.

Advice for travellers from China

Travellers from Wuhan and Hubei Province

If you have travelled from Wuhan or Hubei Province to the UK in the last 14 days you should immediately:

• stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu
• call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the city

If you are in Northern Ireland, call your GP.

Please follow this advice even if you do not have symptoms of the virus.

Travellers from elsewhere in China

If you have travelled from elsewhere in China (but not Macao or Hong Kong) to the UK in the last 14 days and develop symptoms of cough, fever or shortness of breath, you should immediately:

• stay indoors and avoid contact with other people
• call NHS 111

If you are in Northern Ireland, call your GP.

Please follow this advice even if your symptoms are minor.

What this means in practice

We are asking people to take simple, common-sense steps to avoid close contact with other people as much as possible, like they would with other flu viruses.

This means remaining at home for 14 days after arriving from Wuhan or Hubei Province (or elsewhere in China if you have symptoms) and not going to work, school or public areas.

Where possible, you should avoid having visitors to your home, but it’s ok for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food.

Transport

You should not use public transport or taxis until 14 days after your return from Wuhan or Hubei Province (or elsewhere in China if you have symptoms).

Getting food and medicine

We recommend that you stay at home for 14 days after arriving from Wuhan or Hubei Province (or elsewhere in China if you have symptoms), and avoid public places. Where possible, contact a friend, family member or delivery services to carry out errands on your behalf.

Taking children to school

We recommend that you stay at home for 14 days after arriving from Wuhan or Hubei Province (or elsewhere in China if you have symptoms), and avoid public places. Where possible, contact a friend or family member to take your children to school.

Why the advice has changed

This is an evolving situation and the advice has changed based on emerging information from China about the number of cases and spread of the infection from person to person.

This is a highly precautionary measure to limit the potential spread of infection.

If you develop symptoms and have returned from mainland China

If you develop a fever, cough or shortness of breath, you should continue to follow the advice above. Please do not leave your home and call NHS 111 immediately.

Summary of action taken

We have introduced advanced monitoring at airports with direct flights from China.

A team of public health experts has been established in Heathrow to support anyone travelling in from China who feels unwell. These hubs will bring in rotational teams of 7 clinicians, working in shifts, who will be on hand to support patients on arrival. This is in addition to medical staff who are already permanently in place at all UK airports and the advice issued to all UK airports for people travelling to and from China.

The government has issued clinical guidance for the detection and diagnosis of novel coronavirus (2019-nCov), and infection prevention and control.

The Chief Medical Officer, Medical Director at PHE and Medical Director at NHSE/I have issued advice via a CAS (Central Alerting System) alert to frontline staff to increase awareness of the situation and any actions to take.

Most people who develop symptoms will get them after leaving the airport and so the priority is providing UK residents and travellers with the latest information to make sure they know what to do if they experience symptoms, and the NHS and PHE have an established plan to respond to someone who becomes unwell.

China has also introduced port-of-exit screening so people already exhibiting symptoms are not allowed to leave the country.

Diagnosis and analysis

Based on current evidence, novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) presents with flu-like symptoms including a fever, a cough, or difficulty breathing. The current evidence is that most cases appear to be mild. Those who have died in Wuhan appear to have had pre-existing health conditions.

The UK is now one of the first countries outside China to have a prototype specific laboratory test for this new disease. Healthcare professionals who are contacted by a patient with symptoms following travel to Wuhan have been advised to submit samples to PHE for testing. Individuals should be treated in isolation

After the experience of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, PHE developed a series of diagnostic tests to detect any member of the family of coronaviruses. These have been used for several years, and were able to detect the first UK case of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012.

With the first reported publication of the genome sequence of a 2019 novel coronavirus, PHE was able to rapidly develop further specific tests for this virus, working with WHO and global network of laboratories.

When a clinician suspects novel coronavirus (2019-nCov), they take samples from the nose, throat and deeper respiratory samples, package and send them safely to PHE Colindale. PHE can provide a laboratory result from this specific virus on the same working day.

PHE also has the capability to sequence the viral genome and compare this to published sequences from China, if a case occurs. This will provide valuable information on any mutations in the virus over time and allow an improved understanding of how it spreads.

Further information

• Statement from the four UK Chief Medical Officers on Novel Coronavirus
• British nationals in Hubei Province: Foreign Office statement
• CMO for England statement on novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) (24 January 2020)
• joint statement from DHSC and PHE on novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) (22 January 2020)
• clinical guidance on novel coronavirus (2019-nCov)
• Novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) and avian flu: advice for travel to China
• Novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) – NHS

Published 24 January 2020 
Last updated 31 January 2020 + show all updates

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