If we feel ill .... ?

Go on to the NHS website. There is advice on what to do if you think you have symptoms. Hope you feel better soon.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms-and-what-to-do/

My GP was never available at weekends and Bank Holidays so I'd be amazed if one of them is now.

You may find that indeed they are available now for telephone consultations - most probably to keep as many people as possible out of hospital & slow the 10% of NHS staff that are likely to contact C19 & not survive.

Here's a fb link though for advice if you get symptoms.

www.facebook.com/holloway.adam/videos/2678316629063398/UzpfSTMzMTc1OTU4MDI4MzU3NDoyODQ2Mzc0OTgyMTU1MzQy/?eid=ARANkGv7t78pHbN_RiHyf3HzPYX2fpAEH3z3aURt9-d02RPB6wFUGud9OgZ7GTHwNb-_rsgmULmhovB5

..and here's another copied from a fb post.

We thought we'd share some sensible advice copied & pasted from another fb page, written by a nurse about ways to look after yourself if you actually get Corvid-19.
Prepare as though you know you’re going to get a nasty respiratory bug, like bronchitis or pneumonia. Remember it may come your way.
Things to buy ahead of time: tissues, Paracetamol, whatever cough medicine you might normally use (check the label to ensure you're not doubling up on Paracetamol) Honey and lemon may also help. Vicks vaporub for your chest. A humidifier to use overnight. Breathing in the steam from a hot shower or a bowl of hot water with a towel over your head may also help. Make sure any asthma inhalers are up to date. Spend some time freezing meals in case you don't feel well enough to do this later. Stock up on favourite clear fluids to drink.
For symptom management & temperature over 38C ~ take Paracetamol rather than Ibuprofen.Hydrate (drink), hydrate, hydrate! Ensure you get lots of rest. Raising the head of your bed or putting extra pillows under your mattress to sleep more upright may minimise coughing.
Remember even when you begin to feel better you may still be infectious for 14 days.
DO NOT GO TO THE HOSPITAL unless you are having trouble breathing or your temperature is very high (over 39C) & not controlled by taking Paracetamol.
90% of healthy adult cases have been managed at home with basic rest/hydration/over-the-counter meds.
Hospital beds will be used for those who actively need oxygen/breathing treatments/IV fluids. If possible ask your specialist if you feel you might have increased risk for more severe symptoms (see link below) about what to do if you become ill.
Children tend not to have too many symptoms & usually bounce back in a few days but may still be infectious. Prepare as much as possible, try to remain calm, please share this advice where possible.

This has been churning around in my head for ages. Advice seems to be all about isolating, self isolating but nothing about just how bad you should feel before seeking help. Has anyone tried getting through to 111? There is apparently a time limit on how long you can hold on, about 1 hour 20 mins then your call is cut off and you have to start all over again. Thus was reported by a wife whose husband had died. She had adhered to all the advised protocols but too late by the time he received medical attention. If on your own I think if feeling ill for 3 days I would be trying to get formal advice. Oldies have a tendency to underplay illness and struggle on.

Callistemon, have to agree. Such unwarranted comments about NHS staff. At least those who think Boris would have been given such special treatment will, should they succumb to the virus know they will get the 'normal standard of treatment and just be left to rot.

It is naive to think that BJ was on a normal ward. I loathe the man and his crew, the state of the NHS is largely due to them, and the latenesss of all that was eventually addressed.

However he is the PM (unfortunately IMO) and certain protocols need to be observed; his health, wellbeing and privacy and not least his security. Surely there would have been some sort of his normal security detail present.

If you feel ill do not hesitate phone straightaway the 111 or if necessary 999. My dad enjoyed his evening meal Friday perfectly well n happy an hour later in an ambulance taking him into hospital. On oxygen drips n antibiotics. Took a call at 4.00 am from the consultant he had been swabbed for coronorvirus but told results back in 3 days. My dad now on end of life I’m waiting for a call as it’s not good. This virus hits with a bang stsy inside if you can. I never thought I would hsve to say my goodbye to him via an iPad video that the wonderful nurses set up. It was heartbreaking the nurses cried with me. They are doing the most wonderful jobs risking their lives I just hope they get better rewarded for all they are doing. It hits you when this virus lands on your doorstep be safe

Twig14. No words, thinking of you and your family.

If you can be anything be kind.

So sorry to hear about your dad, Twig14, and others who are suffering.

An elderly relative who lives alone is now just starting to recover, very slowly. When her symptoms worsened after a week and she was struggling to breathe she rang for help and a doctor/paramedic attended. He assessed that she wasn't ill enough to be taken to hospital, but her own GP turned up the next day to see her and check again. It's been a long battle but she is slowly coming out of it now. I'm afraid I don't know whether she rang 111 or 999, but rowyn gives a link to the official advice above.

If I ever felt as bad as I did at the start of the year I'd be ringing the undertaker.

".anyone else wondered how many lives would be saved if people were taken to hospital earlier.?"

I read that where italian towns have been compared, the ones that took people to hospital sooner had worse outcomes than the towns where people stayed home longer

Twig14 I’m so sorry.

Katyj we have looked into that in the past but it wasn’t very helpful, basically said they’d just put a call through to the emergency services. Maybe I was expecting too much! I’ll investigate it again, although I suspect I’d have a hell of a fight on my hands trying to get my mum to accept it. She’s fiercely independent.

A friend rang for medical advice and was told paracetamol etc but it later was diagnosed as pneumonia and there is treatment for that . So don't always assume it is covid 19

A nurse friend told me to have an accurate thermometer available and take regular readings. I managed to get one from Argos.

Thankyou for posting very sensible advice @rizlett. I have heard stay at home if you can, but if you can't breathe ring 999. I am very glad Boris is better and wish the survivor rate was put on tv as other countries do.

Notanan2 that's something I've pondered over here in the UK which is why I've constantly queried the amount who've lost their lives.
When you have illness mixed with panic it's not a great combination and people do panic if they're finding it difficult to breathe.

Then you have those who are put on ventilators where the numbers are greatly increased as opposed to the handful who are normally in ICU and whose conditions can be monitored with ease whereas when you have many on ventilators, staffing becomes more difficult as it's a specialized area of medicine.

Correction: You don't ring 111 if you start feeling like you need help, you fill in their online form that will end up telling you if you need to call a doctor or 999. They want people to only ring if they cannot use the website, as their resources for answering the phone are limited and the demand is great.

I think the received advice is that if you are still running a temperature, and have a cough, after 7 days, then you should call 111 or 999.
And, it seems, from reading the News, that Boris should have allowed himself to be taken to hospital a few days before he did - rightly or wrongly he soldiered on, and it sounds as though he's lucky to have recovered as quickly as he did. God bless our wonderful NHS.

I couldn’t agree with you more moorlikeit!

I read over the weekend (not sure if it’s true) that one policeman went to 14 separate deaths supposedly related to the virus - are some people leaving it too late to call 999

Thanks Seefah, a supportive comment is always welcome when one dares to put one's head above the parapet.

It surely has to be 999 - we have now received evidence that more than half the patients admitted to ICU die. This is outrageous and can only be the result of one of two things - either people are not being cared for according to the ICU protocol, which I doubt, or they are not being transferred to ICU soon enough, and that means they are not getting into hospital soon enough. Boris Johnson is a great example of this. He stayed at home too long and was immediately whisked into ICU where even he admits it was touch and go.
So, for those living alone and even those not living alone, 111 isn't the answer. I don't know what the wait times are for this service now, but it's much better to use 999. Better to be safe than sorry.

I just thank god we have Boris as PM and not Theresa May. Otherwise she would still be dithering over what to do next.