Earlier last week I was delighted to be re-appointed as a
Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) at the Department of Health and Social
Care. I have been appointed to a new role, which could be seen as a promotion,
as I am now PPS to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt
Hancock, and with this comes increased responsibility.
At the moment the top priority of the Department of Health
and Social Care is protecting the public from the spread of the Coronavirus
(COVID-19).
As a result, in my role supporting the Health Secretary, I
have been attending regular meetings with the Ministerial team on this subject,
in order to keep up to date as this virus developments both internationally and
nationally.
Understandably there is a great deal of concern and many
questions among the public. I thought it would be good to provide an update and
some facts about Coronavirus (COVID-19) in this column to provide reassurance
and up to date advice.
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. In many ways it is similar to the more common types of
flu we see in this country every winter.
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 (COVID-19) is a new strain of coronavirus
first identified in Wuhan City, China.
It does appear to be a strain of virus that spreads quickly
and widely through direct contact. It has now spread globally and in terms of
the UK, the Department of Health and Social Care is providing daily figures on
how many people have been tested for it in the UK, along with the results.
As of writing this column, for example, on 29 February at
9am, a total of 10,483 people had been tested in the UK, of which 10,460 were
confirmed negative and 23 positive.
Despite the huge media interest in the Coronavirus then,
the actual numbers of people who have been tested for it or actually have it in
the UK are very small.
Of course, we do need to do everything that we possibly can
in order to stop the spread of this virus.
The NHS has issued advice on travellers to certain
countries which have had Coronavirus about self-isolation, which you can find
here:
Otherwise the NHS recommends people follow normal good
hygiene rules in order to prevent spread of germs, such as covering your mouth
and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or
sneeze, putting used tissues in the bin immediately, washing your hands with
soap and water often – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not
available and trying to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
If anyone suspects they may have come into contact with
someone who has coronavirus through traveling or in this country then the
advice is very clear. People should self isolate by staying at home. They
should then call the NHS helpline 111 for further advice. People should not attend
their GP or hospital unless instructed to do so by the NHS helpline. It is
important this advice is followed as it is one of the ways we can limit the
virus being spread further.
The situation with Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to
develop and I will continue to work closely with Ministerial colleagues in the
Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that we as a country are best
prepared to deal with it.
My team and I are here to serve the whole constituency and work hard to
make a real difference to the lives of everyone needing support. The office is
open to the public Monday – Friday 10.00am – 4.00pm (no appointment necessary).
If there is an issue you would like my assistance on then please, either visit
the office or contact me on either 01726 829379 or office@stevedouble.org.uk.
Additionally, I hold regular, appointment only, advice surgeries across the
constituency. Dates of these can be found at: www.stevedouble.org.uk/events
