Covid Working Practices
Covid Working Practices and General Covid Info
Coronavirus working practices statement of All New Beginnings:
All our Support Workers work with, comply, and apply all the current recommended safety and hygiene regulations and practices regarding Covid when out in the field visiting a service user’s home. Also, within our office, all our staff comply and apply all the current recommended safety and hygiene regulations and practices regarding Covid practices in the workplace.
General Covid official information and guidance:
Q&A
Frequently asked questions on Covid-19
The new coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory virus. The name of this disease is coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19. In COVID-19, ‘CO’ stands for ‘corona,’ ‘VI’ for ‘virus’, and ‘D’ for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as “2019 novel coronavirus” or “2019-nCoV” See Supporting Document 1 for further information.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are a Continuous Cough, High Temperature and loss of Taste and or Smell although, other less common symptoms are known. See Supporting Document 6 for further information.
The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose or mouth when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow or tissue). See Supporting Document 1 for further information.
People aged 60 and over, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart and lung problems, diabetes, obesity or cancer, are at higher risk of developing serious illness. However, anyone can get ill with COVID-19. See Supporting Document 1 for further information.
Stay safe by taking some simple precautions such as physical distancing (remain 2 meters apart when possible), wearing a mask or face covering, keeping rooms well ventilated, avoiding crowds, washing your hands with soap and water and cleaning your hands with sanitizer, remember to use a clean towel or paper towel and coughing into a bent elbow or tissue. See Supporting Document 2, 3, 5 & 8 for further information.
Anyone with symptoms should be tested, wherever possible. People who do not have symptoms but have had close contact with someone who is, or may be, infected may also consider testing – check with your local health guidelines. While a person is waiting for test results, they should remain isolated from others. Where testing capacity is limited, tests should first be done for those at higher risk of infection, such as health & social care workers, and those at higher risk of severe illness such as older people, especially those living in seniors’ residences or long-term care facilities. See Supporting Document 4, 6 & 9 for further information.
Both isolation and quarantine are methods of preventing the spread of the disease.
Quarantine means restricting activities and/or separating people who are not ill but may have been exposed to COVID-19. The quarantine can take place in a designated facility or at home for a designated period of time.
Isolation means separating people who are ill with symptoms of COVID-19 and/or have tested positive. See Supporting Document 2 for further information.
The time from exposure of COVID-19 to the moment when symptoms begin is, on average, 5-6 days and can range from 1-14 days. This is why people who have been exposed to the virus are advised to stay home (isolation) for 14 days in order to prevent the spread of the virus especially where testing is not easily available. See Supporting Document 1 for further information.
If you have any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, contact your health care provider or COVID-19 hotline for instructions and find out when and where to get a test, stay at home for 14 days away from others and monitor your health. If you have shortness of breath or pain or pressure in the chest, seek medical attention immediately. Call your health care provider or hotline in advance for direction to the right health facility. If local guidance recommends visiting a medical centre for testing, assessment or isolation, wear a medical mask while travelling to and from the facility and during medical care. Also keep at least a 2 meters distance from other people and avoid touching surfaces with your hands. This applies to adults and children. The use of hand sanitiser is a good way of keeping on top of personal hygiene when you are out and about. See Supporting Document 1 & 4 for further information.
Contact tracing identifies people who may be at risk from COVID-19 because they were in close contact with someone who has the virus. See Supporting Document 9 for further information.
If you are having trouble dealing with worries about the coronavirus you are not alone. Lots of people will have worries about this which is understandable. Being in isolation might cause you to feel worried and more on edge than normal but there are techniques and Support Groups to get in touch with. See Supporting Document 10 for further information.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine does not cause a coronavirus infection. It helps to build up your immunity to the virus, so your body will fight it off more easily if it affects you.
This can reduce your risk of developing coronavirus and make your symptoms milder if you do get it.
The effectiveness and immune response of the vaccine is being monitored as the vaccine is rolled out. See Supporting Document 11 for further information.