Protect against viruses at this time of year

Please read our updated information on coronavirus by clicking on this link.

Because your general health matters to us, as well as your oral health, we’re taking this opportunity to share advice from Public Health England to help prevent the spread of coronavirus and other viruses. There are simple preventive steps we can all take to help us protect against viruses.

The government is working to contain the spread of coronavirus. UK health departments work closely with the World Health Organization and the international community.

Coronavirus symptoms may be a fever, a cough or difficulty breathing.

A kind reminder to patients:

We’re concerned about the spread of all kinds of illnesses that are common at this time of the year. Colds and flu thrive during the winter months We can protect ourselves and others from the spread of viruses.

If you’re not feeling well, we recommend you:

• Contact us to re-schedule your appointment until you feel better.
• Limit the number of people you’re in contact with, especially people vulnerable to catching an illness.
• Take good care of yourself, and ask for advice from NHS 111 if necessary.

Making sure we meet exacting standards of hygiene in our dental practices is of vital importance. We have strict decontamination procedures in place to protect patients from cross-infection.

However, if you’re unwell but still out and about, the more chance there is that your virus will spread to others, and that your own health will suffer too. So if you’re unwell, we strongly recommend you defer your dental appointment until you feel better.

Please tell us though!

• NHS patients need to cancel appointments in good time
• Your local pharmacy can advise on health care and medication

Catch it! Bin it! Kill it!

While the government and the NHS are well-prepared to deal with known and new viruses each year, each of us can do our bit to help too.

The NHS shares the message of preventive hygiene each winter. During the cold weather, people are more susceptible to viral infections, such as colds and flu. Coronavirus spreads in the same way as these airborne viruses and the same precautions help protect us.

For a virus to thrive, it depends on finding a host. As the virus can survive for a few hours independent of a host, using a tissue to catch coughs and sneezes and then disposing of them thoughtfully makes a difference. Do does good hand hygiene.

The current health campaign advises the public to:

• always carry tissues and use them to catch coughs and sneezes, then bin the tissue
• wash hands with soap and water, or use sanitiser gel, to kill germs

Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, said with reference to coronavirus:

“Our highly trained and experienced clinicians are working round the clock to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the UK. The government has detailed plans for how to deal with an outbreak like this. We can all play our part.”

“Basic hygiene such as washing our hands regularly and using tissues when we cough and sneeze can play an important role in minimising the spread of viruses like this. Today we have launched a UK-wide public information campaign to help the public protect themselves and each other.”

“Our world-class NHS is well prepared and we are doing everything we can to protect the public.”

Vaccinations for viruses

Recommended for vulnerable groups of people, vaccinations range from flu injections for the elderly to the new initiative to vaccinate boys as well as girls against human papillomavirus (HPV) linked with cancers.

•  Vaccinations for boys to help protect against mouth cancer

Moreover, there are the standard childhood vaccinations protect babies and children from common illnesses and have significantly reduced childhood mortality rates.

We’re fortunate to live in an age where serious contagious viral infections, such as measles, mumps, polio and smallpox, are controlled by vaccinations. Their benefits to our society should never be taken for granted.

Specific advice to travellers re novel coronavirus (2019-nCov)

Access the latest advice from GOV.UK to protect against coronavirus.

The aim is to take highly precautionary measures to limit the potential spread of infection.

Risk level

Based on the World Health Organization’s declaration that this is a public health emergency of international concern, the UK Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk to the UK from low to moderate.

This permits the government to plan for all eventualities.

Travellers from Wuhan and Hubei Province and other specified areas

If you have travelled from:

• Iran
• specific lockdown areas in northern Italy as designated by the Government of Italy
• ‘special care zones’ in South Korea as designated by the Government of the Republic of South Korea
• Hubei province (returned in the past 14 days)

You should immediately:

• stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu
• call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the area

In Scotland phone your GP or NHS 24 on 111 out of hours. If you are in Northern Ireland, call 0300 200 7885.

Please follow this advice even if you do not have symptoms of the virus.

Latest health advice

See the latest information and advice for the public on the outbreak of coronavirus from the Department of Health and Social Care. This covers the current situation in the UK and abroad, and provides specific advice for travellers returning to the UK from:

• mainland China
• Hong Kong
• Macao
• Cambodia
• Iran
• northern Italy
• Japan
• Laos
• Malaysia
• Myanmar
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Vietnam

The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) has also produced general advice on preparing for foreign travel and how individuals can help reduce the spread of respiratory viruses during the COVID-19 outbreak.

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