So far it has only affected people in Guernsey – with no one testing positive in any of the other islands of the Bailiwick.
But covid-19 has led to the death of up to 16 people in Guernsey, with 13 confirmed and three presumptive deaths linked with the virus.
There are only 11 active cases at the time of writing, with no new confirmed patients for 11 days in a row.
The Director of Public Health has warned against complacency though, and now Dr Nicola Brink is reminding us of the symptoms of corona virus, and encouraging us to be tested if we have any symptoms – no matter how mild.
Good news again today. Day 10 with no new cases. Thank you to everyone for their hard work and sacrifice to get us to this point. We can’t be complacent but we can be very pleased. #GuernseyTogether https://t.co/KEvd8wNWWE
— Nicola Brink (@DrNicolaBrink) May 10, 2020
Dr Brink said: “I really want people to come forward for testing if they have any of these symptoms (listed below), no matter how mild. Please contact the Clinical Helpline by calling 01481 756938 or 01481 756969 to arrange for testing.”
The symptoms to look out for include:
- Fever (rigors, chills, can’t get warm, high temperature.)
- Muscle ache (fatigue, exhaustion)
- Headache (sinus pain, pain around eyes)
- Loss of smell/taste
- Continuous new cough
- Sore throat
- Shortness of breath, chest tightness
- Over 80s and 90s – loose stool, mild fever, not themselves with a cough presenting later
The initial case definition used in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, as defined by Public Health England, was more restrictive focusing on the presence of fever, cough or shortness of breath. That symptom list was expanded to include all of the above in early April.
Anyone presenting with any of the above symptoms would be assessed to see if they need a test.
If they were tested they would likely get their results back within 24-hours under current timings.
