Information For Residents Of Residential Care Services And Family Members
Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
Information for Residents of Residential
Care Services and Family Members
An outbreak of novel coronavirus
(2019-nCoV) was detected in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in late December 2019.
Residential
care services
Family members and visitors to residential
care are advised that they must not attend these centres if they have travelled
to mainland China within the past 14 days or have come into contact with a
confirmed case of novel coronavirus within the past 14 days, or have left, or
transited through, mainland China on or after 1 February 2020. If
you are in any of these circumstances, please review information on when and
how to isolate yourself on the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ website at www.gov.bb.
Residents of residential care who have
travelled to Hubei Province within the past 14 days, will be isolated for 14
days after leaving Hubei Province.
Residents of residential care who have
left, or transited through, mainland China on or after 1 February 2020, will be
isolated for 14 days after leaving China.
Residents of residential care who have been
in close contact with a case of novel coronavirus within the past 14 days will
be isolated for 14 days after last contact with the case.
If you need to be isolated, you will be
placed in a single room and will not be able to engage with other residents or
receive visitors. You will be monitored closely for symptoms of the virus and,
if you become unwell, you will undergo further assessment and testing. Health
care and residential care workers will continue to provide support and care
while you are isolated.
What does it mean to be
isolated?
People who
are isolated should not attend public places, in particular work, school,
childcare, university or public gatherings. You will be placed in a single room
away from other residents and will not be allowed to see visitors. Health care
and residential care workers will continue to provide support and care while
you are isolated. If you need to leave your room, such as to seek medical care,
you will be asked to wear a mask.
What is
this virus?
Coronaviruses can
make humans and animals sick. Some coronaviruses can cause illness similar to
the common cold and others can cause more serious diseases, including Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
The virus seen in
mainland China is called ‘novel’ because it is new. It has not been detected
before this outbreak. Most people currently infected live in, or have travelled
to mainland China. There have been some cases of 2019-nCoV reported in other
countries. It is likely that the virus originally came from an animal, and
there is now evidence that it can spread from person-to-person.
What
are the symptoms?
Symptoms include (but are not limited to) fever, cough,
sore throat, fatigue and shortness of breath.
Who
is most at risk of a serious illness?
Some people who are
infected may not get sick at all, some will get mild symptoms from which they
will recover easily, and others may become very ill, very quickly.
From
previous experience with other coronaviruses, the people at most risk of
serious infection are:
· people
with compromised immune systems;
· elderly
people;
· very
young children and babies;
· people
with diagnosed heart and lung conditions.
How can
we help prevent the spread of 2019-nCoV?
Practising good
hand hygiene and sneeze/cough hygiene is the best defence. Encourage all
residents and visiting family members to:
· wash
their hands often with soap and water before and after eating as well as after
attending the toilet;
· avoid
contact with others by keeping family members, including children, at home if
they are unwell; and
· cough
and sneeze into their elbow.