Coronavirus – COVID-19 Updates

For the latest Government Updates regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) please click here

Covid-19 Vaccine Information – Easy Read Vaccine Information

Regular Patient Updates will be published here during the Global Coronavirus Pandemic.

Simply click on the link/s below to read the news publication. These are in a PDF format so should be able to be opened on all devices.

Patient Update 12th January 2021

Patient Update 27th November 2020 – COVID-19 Vaccination Program

Patient Update 6th November 2020

Patient Update 7th October 2020

Patient Update 27th July 2020

Patient Update 22nd June 2020

Patient Update 1st June 2020

Patient Update 27th April 2020

Patient Update 7th April 2020

Update – 24th March 2020

Face Covering Exemption Cards

From Friday 24th July Face Coverings will be mandatory in shops and supermarkets.

You do not need to wear a face covering if you have a legitimate reason not to. This includes not being able to wear one due to:

• disability, learning disability or if you are autistic
• lunch and breathing conditions
• physical or mental illness
• severe distress
• supporting someone who uses lip reading
• needing to eat, drink or take medication

There are printable cards on the PDF below. You can print them off and keep one with you if required.

Face Covering Exemption Cards

The British Heart Foundation have an article with some more information that you can find here.

If you would like a picture you can store on your phone then there are a rules image and then 3 other images you can download and save below depending on which you require;

Face Covering Exemption Rules (Phone Version)

Face Covering Exemption Image – (Phone Version)

Face Covering Exemption Image – Carer (Phone Version)

Face Covering Exemption Image – Parent (Phone Version)

For those patients that have been shielding the new advice to will now be:

From 6 July:

• You may, if you wish, meet in a group of up to 6 people outdoors, including people from different households, while maintaining strict social distancing;
• You no longer need to observe social distancing with other members of your household;
• In line with the wider guidance for single adult households (either an adult living alone or with dependent children under 18) in the general population, you may from this date, if you wish, also form a ‘support bubble’ with one other household. All those in a support bubble will be able to spend time together inside each other’s homes, including overnight, without needing to socially distance. This is a small advisory change that brings those affected a step nearer others in their communities. However, all the other current shielding advice will remain unchanged at this time. The guidance for the clinically extremely vulnerable will be relaxed to allow shielded individuals to meet up to 5 people from other households outdoors, socially distanced, and to form support bubbles if they live alone or are a lone adult with a dependent under 18.

From 1 August:

• The advice to ‘shield’ will be paused. From this date, the Government is advising you to adopt strict social distancing rather than full shielding measures. Strict social distancing means you may wish to go out to more places and see more people but you should take particular care to minimise contact with others outside your household or support bubble.
• You can go to work, if you cannot work from home, as long as the business is COVID-safe;
• Children who are clinically extremely vulnerable can return to their education settings if they are eligible and in line with their peers. Where possible children should practise frequent hand washing and social distancing;
• You can go outside to buy food, to places of worship and for exercise but you should maintain strict social distancing; and
• You should remain cautious as you are still at risk of severe illness if you catch Coronavirus, so the advice is to stay at home where possible and, if you do go out, follow strict social distancing.”

The full update can be found here

Devon County Council has launched a new emergency helpline to provide urgent support to vulnerable Devon residents who have been told by the NHS that they are at high risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19) because of underlying health conditions.

If you have received an NHS extremely vulnerable letter, registered for support on the government website but you have not received a food delivery, or you need other help because you are isolated please call on:  0345 155 1011.

Use of ibuprofen – 

There has been a lot of public interest in whether to use ibuprofen to relieve the symptoms of Covid-19. Public Health England have issued the following guidance:

• There is not currently enough information on ibuprofen use and covid-19 to advisepeople to stop using ibuprofen. Currently there is no published scientific evidence that ibuprofen increases the risk of catching covid-19 or makes the illness worse. There is also no conclusive evidence that taking ibuprofen is harmful for other respiratory infections.
• Most people with COVID-19 will have a mild illness and some people may need to take medicines, such as paracetamol, to help with raised temperature, headache and other pains; always follow the instructions on the label if you do take these medicines and do not exceed the stated dose.
• Patients who have been prescribed NSAIDs for long-term health problems should continue to take them as directed by their healthcare professional.