NHS says 'isolate' if you spot these signs of new Covid XEC strain (original) (raw)

The NHS has urged people to stay home if they spot three signs of a new strain of Coronavirus. People are being advised to avoid contact amid a spike in Covid cases.

It comes as experts believe a new strain known as XEC could become dominant worldwide. The strain was first found in Germany and has since been detected in 27 countries across Europe, Asia, and North America.

More than 600 cases have been recorded globally, including 82 confirmed cases within the UK. XEC is thought to be highly transmissible due to a number of mutations it carries.

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It comes as cases of Covid are rising across the UK again. According to the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), cases of Covid increased by 21.6 percent in England in just one week.

In the seven days up to September 25, there were 2,797 recorded cases of Covid - an increase of 530 from the week earlier. In the week up to September 20, there was a 50 percent increase in Covid deaths in England, with 134 recorded.

What to do if you have Covid

Self-isolation rules in the UK are no longer mandatory. But the NHS recommends you try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you have symptoms and either:

Have a high temperature
Or do not feel well enough to go to work, school or do your normal activities

It says: "You can go back to your normal activities when you feel better or do not have a high temperature. If your child has mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat or mild cough, and they feel well enough, they can go to school or childcare."

If you test positive for Covid, the NHS says you should:

Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for three days after the day the test was taken if you or your child are under 18 years old – children and young people tend to be infectious to other people for less time than adults
Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for five days after the day you took your test if you are 18 years old or over
Avoid meeting people who are more likely to get seriously ill from viruses, such as people with a weakened immune system, for 10 days after the day you took your test.

Symptoms

Symptoms of XEC are thought to be similar to other strains of Covid and can include:

A high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
Shortness of breath
Feeling tired or exhausted
An aching body
A headache
A sore throat
A blocked or runny nose
Loss of appetite
Diarrhoea
Feeling sick or being sick.

Booster jabs will be available until December 20 this year. They will be offered to those deemed most vulnerable to Covid, which include:

Over-65s
People aged between six months and 64 years with health conditions that make them more vulnerable
People living in care homes for older people
Frontline health and social-care staff, including in care homes for older people.

The NHS will contact eligible patients directly but people can also book their own appointments now via the NHS App, GPs, pharmacies, drop-in clinics, or by calling 119. Anyone also entitled to the flu jab will be offered this at the same time.

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