Living alongside coronavirus

Vaccines are our best defence against COVID-19, it has saved lives and prevented many people needing hospital treatment for COVID-19.

It’s never too late to have your vaccine. Even if you’ve had COVID-19, it’s still important you have the jab to increase your protection.

This winter, we’re offering a booster jab. If you’re eligible, please have the booster when it’s offered to make sure you’re fully protected.

There are other things we can do as well, to keep ourselves and our families safe.

The more of these we do, the better, to disrupt the transmission of COVID-19:

Always:

• Get fully vaccinated to protect yourself from COVID-19
• Book a test if you have any COVID-19 symptoms, however mild
• Self-isolate if you have any COVID-19 symptoms, or if you’re asked to by a contact tracer
• Take PCR tests if you are identified as a contact
• Wear a face mask where required
• Use the NHS COVID Pass or negative lateral flow test result to attend large events, venues, cinemas, theatres and concert halls
• Take lateral flow tests twice a week if you don’t have any symptoms and on days when you’re seeing other people
• Wash hands regularly

Where possible continue to:

• Socialise safely
• Increase ventilation and let fresh air in
• Keep a safe distance from others
• Download and use the NHS COVID-19 app

How to reduce my risk

It’s important to remember that almost one-in-three people with coronavirus don’t show symptoms. Whenever we come together, there’s always a risk that the virus will come too.

There are steps you can take to reduce the risk to you and others:

Fresh air and ventilation

Fresh air can help to reduce the spread. Coronavirus spreads through airborne particles when we breathe and talk, and even more when laughing, shouting or exercising. Doing any of these things inside, in a poorly ventilated space, increases the risk even more. Being outdoors, or opening windows and doors if you’re inside, can help to decrease the number of infectious particles hanging around.

Outdoors is safer than indoors

If you meet up with people, try to do so outside where there is less risk of infection. Allowing someone inside your home, even for a few minutes, increases the risk of catching or spreading the virus for everyone in your household.

Reduce the number of people you meet

We all want to meet our friends and family, but think about what is the most sensible thing for you to do to protect those around you. Limiting how many different people you see helps keep you, your family, and friends safe. It’s less risky to see the same one or two people regularly than to see lots of different people occasionally. By only meeting a few people, everyone’s contacts are less and the virus will find it harder to spread.

Reduce face-to-face time with other people

The main way coronavirus spreads is through close contact with an infected person. So meeting face-to-face increases the risk of getting and giving coronavirus – the shorter the time, the lower the risk. The NHS COVID-19 App will let you know if you have come into contact with someone who later tests positive for coronavirus. More than 28 million people are using the app like this to keep them safe. Your privacy is protected, so nobody, including the government, will know who you are or where you are.

Social distancing is the best way to stop coronavirus spreading

Staying at least 2 metres away from people you do not live with can still reduce the chances of the virus spreading. Choosing not to share a lift, choosing less busy times, and using a face covering still all help to reduce the risk to you and others.

If you become infected keep your distance from other members of your household as much as possible, especially if they are clinically extremely vulnerable.

Washing your hands

Washing your hands with soap and water, or regularly using hand sanitiser when you don’t have access to soap and water, helps stop the virus spreading. Our hands touch many surfaces throughout the day, and this can help the virus to move around. If you have the virus on your hands, you can transfer it to other surfaces or to your eyes, nose or mouth. This is one way that viruses can enter your body and infect you. Washing or sanitising your hands removes viruses and other germs, so you are less likely to spread them or to become infected.