What is Coronavirus and what are the symptoms?

• Coronavirus (Covid-19) is a contagious disease caused by severe respiratory virus Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
• The virus can spread via:
  • droplets of saliva
  • discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes

For more information visit the NHS Website.

The disease affects different people in many different ways. Below are the main 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
  Most people with coronavirus have at least one of these symptoms.

Do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital if you think you might have coronavirus. Stay at home and book a test here. More information available at NHS

It is completely understandable as a young person to be worried about the current situation. Nevertheless, there are things we can still do to maximise the chances of keeping ourselves and our families safe.

What is the Coronavirus Vaccine and should I have it?

From 18 June, anyone aged 18 and over can book online, or by calling 119, for their covid vaccine💉

The jab involves introducing into the body a harmless fragment of the virus’s genetic material, or the instructions to make it. There is no way it can give you Covid, or affect your DNA in any way. The only thing happening in your body is your immune system firing up, getting ready to protect you against future encounters with the virus.

➡️FERTILITY:

There is no evidence that vaccines cause fertility problems in men or women.

➡️PERIODS:

Some women say they’ve experienced unusually heavy, painful or prolonged periods after being jabbed but it’s not known if the vaccine was the cause. There are plausible reasons the vaccine might cause changes to periods. The jab prompts an increase in activity in the immune system, which also plays a role in the menstrual cycle. These changes might feel unpleasant or worrying, but there is nothing to suggest they can affect your fertility or cause any long-term damage to your health.

➡️ALCOHOL:

There is no published data on the effects of alcohol on how well the body builds immunity after the vaccine. While there’s no evidence to suggest you need to avoid alcohol altogether, drinking in large quantities can suppress your immune system. So it’s best not to overdo it for a few days, especially if you have vaccine side-effects.

➡️SIDE EFFECTS:

Most are mild, completely normal and disappear after a few days.They happen because the body’s defences are reacting to the vaccine, and include: a sore arm, tiredness, fever, headache, feeling sick

➡️DO I HAVE TO HAVE THE VACCINE?

No. But everyone is being urged to get two doses to protect themselves, their family, friends and wider society.

The vaccines:

🔴have saved more than 13,000 UK lives, according to Public Health England

🔴help reduce person to person virus spread (or transmission)

🔴help protect against new variants

Without a jab, you may not be able to travel abroad or do certain jobs.

To book your vaccine, and for more information, visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

For more information about the vaccine, you can find factual information here:

• YouTube

• NHS England

• CCG

• Healthy Sandwell

Bored at Home?

Not being able to meet with your friends does not mean you should be bored. There are plenty of fun things to do which do not involve you leaving the house. This can range from playing your favourite game series and catching up on your favourite Youtube Channel. Here are some places to look for interesting things:

Just Youth activities page

#FakePeopleFakeNews

The pandemic presents opportunities for people to raise awareness of various issues during the pandemic. This can vary from warning people, educating people and scaring them. It is important to be vigilant when online. Before jumping on that new trending hashtag, make sure you know the source and it is trustworthy. A lot of false and potentially damaging information is being spread by scammers which have led to people getting injured, being on the wrong side of the law and even death.