Five ways to help stop the spread of coronavirus

Both the NHS and World Health Organisation (WHO) have issued guidance on how to protect yourself and others from getting the disease, now officially named COVID-19;

🧼 1. Wash your hands

Washing your hands frequently with soap and water - or a hand sanitiser gel as an alternative - will remove viruses and bacteria from your hands.

💪🏻 2. Cough/sneeze into your elbow

If you have a virus and you sneeze or cough into your hands, the droplets in your sneeze or cough then contaminate your hands, and you will then contaminate objects or people that you touch.

🤦🏻‍♀️ 3. Don't touch your face

If you touch your eyes, nose or mouth with your contaminated hands, you can transfer the virus from the surface to yourself.

📏 4. Stay more than 2 metres away from others

Try to avoid any non-essential close contact with people. Avoid gatherings of 5 people or more.

🏠 5. Stay home if you feel sick

To protect others, do not go to a GP, pharmacy or hospital.

If you have symptoms of coronavirus, you'll need to stay at home for 7 days;

If you live with someone who has symptoms, you'll need to stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person in the home started having symptoms;

There is not yet a specific treatment for COVID-19, although scientists are working on a vaccine.