Coronavirus Update

I’m sure you’ll agree that at times like this it is more important than ever to follow reputable, standardised advice rather than relying on unverified posts from social media.

You will no doubt be aware of the following guidance to educational settings about COVID19.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19#limiting-spread-of-coronavirus-covid-19-in-educational-settings

To date this remains the most recent guidance. It links to useful posters and leaflets and also to the following guidance on ‘decontamination in non-healthcare settings’:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings

Of particular relevance is the guidance on laundry to be followed after someone has become unwell in a setting, but which could equally be used each day. There is no more specific guidance on this for everyday activities in educational settings, shops and other settings and again, this focusses on what to do after a suspected case:

Laundry

• Wash items in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Use the warmest water setting and dry items completely. Dirty laundry that has been in contact with an unwell person can be washed with other people’s items.
• Do not shake dirty laundry, this minimises the possibility of dispersing the virus through the air.
• Clean and disinfect anything used for transporting laundry with your usual products, in line with the cleaning guidance above.

Elements of  Facebook posts are particularly alarming, such as claims that after following this procedure “You should now be virus free”.

The people responsible for the national updates include experts such as virologists, public health epidemiologists and health protection professionals and these should be followed at all times. We would encourage everyone to be guarding against the dangers of sharing unverified information from social media.