Coronavirus

Coronavirus (Covid-19) is a new, potentially serious illness that mostly affects people’s lungs and airways. Anyone can catch it; anyone can spread it.

Coronavirus infection usually occurs through close contact with a person who has it, through coughs and sneezes or hand contact. A person can also be infected by touching contaminated surfaces, if they do not wash their hands. To reduce the risk to the public, the NHS has put in place measures to protect patients, our community and NHS staff while ensuring as many services as possible are available to the public.

For more information on how you can keep yourself and your household safe, download our COVID-19 information booklet.

Help stop the spread

We can all help stop the virus from spreading if we take precautions. This means you should:

Stay at home as much as possible and study or work from home if you can

Limit contact with other people outside of your household

Keep your distance if you go out (2 metres apart where possible)

Wash your hands regularly and carry hand sanitiser for when this isn’t possible

Wear a face covering (unless you are exempt) on public transport, in enclosed public spaces and when accessing any NHS services

Do not leave home if you or anyone in your household has symptoms except to get tested

For the latest Government guidance, please visit the UK Government website

For the latest health advice, please visit the NHS website

For local support and to see how services in Leeds are affected, please visit the Leeds City Council website

What to do if you think you have coronavirus

If you have symptoms of coronavirus do not go to a GP, pharmacy or hospital.

Coronavirus symptoms:

high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

If you or someone you live with has coronavirus symptoms, you must all stay at home, self isolate and use the NHS 111 service. You should not go to a GP, pharmacy or hospital. If your condition does not improve or you cannot cope with the illness please call NHS 111 or use the online NHS 111 coronavirus service.

For the latest NHS information visit www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.

Getting Tested

If you have coronavirus symptoms, you should get tested. All testing sites operate on an appointment only basis – please do not attend without an appointment. Appointments can be booked via the NHS online booking system or by calling 119.

When booking, you will be shown a list of the nearest places to go for your test. It is important to be tested no more than five days from when your symptoms started.

NHS Test and Trace

Anyone who tests positive for coronavirus will be contacted by the service and will need to share information about their recent interactions. This could include housemates, flatmates, people with whom you have been in direct contact, or within 2 metres of for more than 15 minutes.

People identified as having been in close contact with someone who has a positive test must stay at home for 14 days, even if they do not have symptoms, to stop unknowingly spreading the virus.

Self Isolating

If you have symptoms, self-isolate for 10 days. This means you need to stay away from friends in the meantime to help stop the spread!

If you live with other people in your house or shared flat and haven’t avoided contact then they should also self-isolate for 14 days, counted from the day you first got symptoms

If you live with someone who has a long-term condition, is pregnant or has a weakened immune system, try to find somewhere else for them to stay for 14 days.

If you have to stay at home together, try to keep away from each other as much as possible.

Getting support if you’re self isolating

You are not alone! If you are self-isolating and you do not have friends or family nearby who can help, phone the Leeds City Council Helpline on 0113 378 1877 (7 days a week, 9am to 6pm). Volunteers are available to help with shopping and transport to medical appointments. Phone support is also available to check how you are.