As part of the Frosts Pharmacy Group, a family run business established in 1925 by John Frost and now run by his grandson Stuart Gale, we are a fully registered UK pharmacy and adhere to the standards set by the General Pharmaceutical Council. We run successful high street pharmacies in Banbury and Oxford, in the UK, as well as our online chemist services.
Monday, November 29, 2021
Note: BLOG updated 29 November 2021 in light of new Coronavirus advice from UK Government by Robert Bradshaw Pharmacist
COVID-19 is a Coronavirus, which is a family of viruses that originated in animals and which has transferred to humans. In most cases, when contracted by a human, it results in mild cold and flu-like symptoms.
I have a holiday booked later this year, should I be cancelling?
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is updating its travel advice daily. As of 27th Nov 2021 there is updated advice about travel - particularly from some Southern African countires and also a new requirement to get a PCR test when returning to the UK are here and more detailed updated requirements about returning to the UK are here . If you have upcoming holidays planned, check with your holiday provider to see what testing requirements (if any) are needed before you can travel.
Please click here for the latest update from UK Governnment
These include
Note: these are for England - please see local website for the devolved governments
Should I be worried about the new OMICRON variant?
It is still very early days and scientists are working on obtaining as much information as possible,
in the meantime, the best advice to reduce your risk is to follow the updated advice above, if you have had your vaccination course get the booster when available for your age group or get a first / second jab if you are not double vaccinated.
Get your booster jab now!
As of 29th November 2021:
Booster COVID-19 vaccines are to be offered to all adults aged 18 and over in a major expansion of the programme.
The announcement came as 11 cases of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 were detected in the UK.
Six of the cases were identified in Scotland, and five in England.
The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI) announced that the booster programme would be extended to 18 to 39 year olds who had received their second dose at least 3 months previously.
Coronavirus is a respiratory illness. Those who have fallen ill are reported to suffer loss of taste/smell, sore throat, headaches, coughs, fever and breathing difficulties. Though the majority of cases are reported as mild, in more severe cases, the virus causes pneumonia, an infection that inflames the lungs and causes breathing difficulty. This is where the main danger lies.
The current death rate for those who contract COVID-19 stands at below 2% although there are much better treatments now availaable and the best way to reduce this risk is to get your 2 COVID jabs plus booster as per the NHS advice as soon as you are able.
As is the case with most respiratory illnesses, those most at risk include:
As this is a virus, antibiotics are of no use.
While the flu jab will not have any impact on the COVID-19 virus specifically, if you are within one of the at risk groups, it can reduce your chances of contracting the flu, which can cause further complications. As such we would recommend having the flu jab at your local pharmacy.
Yes and they are very sucessful at reducing your risk of hospitalisation or death. We advise you to get your booster jab as soon as you are able.
What can I do to reduce my chance of infection?
Follow the hands, face, space guidance. Keep your hands clean by washing them frequently with soap and water or, if hand washing facilities are not available, use a hand sanitising gel. Wear a face mask and avoid touching your face and keep a two-meter distance from others, when in public.
As a further preventative measure, wearing gloves may help as it avoids surface to hand to mouth/eye spread of the virus.
Over the past year, hospitals have learned to manage the large influx patients which have resulted from Coronavirus. The advice to the public is clear, if they are experiencing symptoms, they will need to stay at home and quarantine themselves for 10 days. Hospitals may plan to postpone routine appointments or surgery. People may prepare by ensuring they have the basics available such as non-perishable food items, in the event that they do have to self isolate.
Is there a cure for COVID-19?
There is no simple cure for Covid-19 – just as there is no cure for the common cold. Sufferers must simply manage the symptoms which include: a high temperature, a new continuous or persistent cough, a loss of your sense of taste or smell and shortness of breath.
Patients with COVID sometimes develop secondary pneumonia or other complications. If someone has shortness of breath or their symptoms are not improving they should discuss their concerns with 111 or their GP.
I have a holiday booked later this year, should I be cancelling?
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is updating its travel advice daily. As of 227th Nov 2021 there is updated advice about travel - particularly from some Southern African countires and also a new requirement to get a PCR test when returning to the UK https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus . If you have upcoming holidays planned, check with your holiday provider to see if they have any contingency measures in place. Some airlines are offering passengers the option to rebook for a later date or an alternative destination. It would also be worth checking your holiday insurance to see what measures they are putting in place.
If you think you may have contracted Coronavirus do not go to a GP surgery, community pharmacy or hospital. Call 111, stay indoors and avoid close contact with other people.
You can book a COVID19 test yourself on the NHS website. GPs can not book COVID tests.
Note: BLOG updated 29 November 2021 in light of new Coronavirus advice from UK Government by R Bradshaw Pharmacist
Reviewed on 29 November 2021
Robert Bradshaw - MRPharms BSc(Hons) Pharmacy
Pharmacist Manager & Lead Clinical Pharmacist
GPhC Number: 2036118
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