Guidelines on what to do when you have Covid-19 – NHS updates advice

Despite it being over two years since the first Covid-19 cases were recorded in the UK then a subsequent vaccine and booster programme, the virus is here to stay. But far from previous legally mandated rules clearly stating you had to isolate following a positive test, the new guidelines have been confusing many.

More than 1.7million people now currently have the virus in the UK, a 23 per cent weekly increase, according to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics. Down to recent Omicron variants and reinfections, over 180,000 have now lost their lives due to the virus.

Over 25 percent of Britain remain not double-jabbed, while the dropping of all Covid measures and travel restrictions has seen cases steadily rise since the start of June.

Read more: Covid cases rise in Nottingham by 30% as health bosses warn it’s ‘spreading through communities’

As you no longer have to legally isolate after a positive test, many people are back to their pre-Covid habits. But this is not what is advised, despite not written in law like before.

What to do if you have Covid

You are encouraged to use ‘common sense’ and not step out into busy crowds, enclosed spaces or come in contact with the vulnerable, if you believe you may have Coronavirus, are presenting symptoms or have tested positive.

The NHS advises that if you test positive for Covid or think you may have it, you should do the following:

• Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days
• Avoiding meeting people at higher risk from Covid-19 for 10 days, especially if their immune system means they’re at higher risk of serious illness from Covid-19, even if they’ve had the vaccine and booster

If a child 18 years old or under tests positive for Covid-19, they should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for three days. The day at which you start these periods starts from the day after you do a test.

If you feel unwell and display symptoms of Covid, but do not test yourself, you are recommended to:

• Stay at home and reduce contact with other people and avoid those at higher risk from Covid

You can go back to your normal activities if you feel well enough to do so and do not have a temperature.

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