COVID-19 (Coronavirus): information and guidance for staff
Introduction
COVID-19 is a new strain of coronavirus first identified in Wuhan City, China in January 2020.
The UK government has produced guidance for the education sector related to COVID-19 and its prevention. This page provides information for staff based on that guidance, including how to prevent the spread of the virus and what to do if someone is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19.
Information about the virus
As a group, coronaviruses are common across the world. COVID-19 is a new strain of coronavirus first identified in Wuhan City, China. The incubation period of COVID-19 is between 2 and 14 days. This means that if a person remains well 14 days after contact with someone with confirmed coronavirus, it is unlikely that they have been infected.
The following symptoms may develop in the 14 days after exposure to someone who has COVID-19 infection:
cough
difficulty in breathing
fever
These infections can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.
How COVID-19 is spread
Spread of COVID-19 is most likely to happen when there is close contact (within 2 metres) with an infected person. It is likely that the risk increases the longer someone has close contact with an infected person. Droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes (termed respiratory secretions) containing the virus are most likely to be the most important means of transmission.
There are two routes by which people could become infected:
secretions can be directly transferred into the mouths or noses of people who are nearby (within 2 metres) or could be inhaled into the lungs
it is also possible that someone may become infected by touching a surface or object that has been contaminated with respiratory secretions and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes (such as touching a doorknob or shaking hands then touching own face).
Preventing the spread of infection
There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus. There are general principles anyone can follow to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including:
washing your hands often - with soap and water or use alcohol sanitiser if handwashing facilities are not available. This is particularly important after taking public transport
covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throwing the tissue in a bin. See Catch it, Bin it, Kill it
people who feel unwell should stay at home and should not attend work or any education or childcare setting
staff, students, and visitors should wash their hands:
before leaving home
on arrival at the university
after using the toilet
after breaks and sporting activities
before food preparation
before eating any food, including snacks
before leaving the university
use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available
avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
avoid close contact with people who are unwell
clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
if you are worried about your symptoms or those of a child or colleague, please call NHS 111. Do not go directly to your GP or other healthcare environment
see further information on the Public Health England Blog and the NHS UK website
PHE has a suite of materials that contains public health advice about how you can help stop the spread of viruses, like those that cause COVID-19, by practicing good respiratory and hand hygiene. To access, download and share this information, you will need to register for an account which only takes a couple of minutes.
Face masks for the general public, staff and students, are not recommended to protect from infection, as there is no evidence of benefit from their use outside healthcare environments.
People who have returned from Category 1 specified countries/areas in the last 14 days should self-isolate. This includes avoiding attending an education setting or work until 14 days after they return.
People who have returned from Category 2 specified countries/areas in the last 14 days, are advised to stay at home if they develop symptoms. All other students and staff should continue to attend the university.
What to do if staff or students become unwell and believe they have been exposed to COVID-19
Call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency (if they are seriously ill or injured or their life is at risk), and if appropriate, explain which country they have returned from in the last 14 days. You can do this on their behalf if this is easier. People who become unwell should be advised not to go to their GP, pharmacy, urgent care centre or a hospital.
Whilst you wait for advice from NHS 111 or an ambulance to arrive, try to find somewhere safe for the unwell person to sit which is at least 2 metres away from other people. If possible, find a room or area where they can be isolated behind a shut door, such as a staff office or meeting room.
If it is possible to open a window, do so for ventilation. They should avoid touching people, surfaces and objects and be advised to cover their mouth and nose with a disposable tissue when they cough or sneeze and put the tissue in the bin. If no bin is available, put the tissue in a bag or pocket for disposing in a bin later. If you don’t have any tissues available, they should cough and sneeze into the crook of their elbow. The room will need to be cleaned once they leave. If they need to go to the bathroom whilst waiting for medical assistance, they should use a separate bathroom if available.
What to do if a case of COVID-19 is suspected in the university
If anyone has been in contact with a suspected case, no restrictions or special control measures are required while laboratory test results for COVID-19 are awaited. Therefore, until the outcome of test results is known there is no action that staff members need to take apart from cleaning specific areas and disposing of waste.
If the test results return negative for COVID-19 then no further action need be taken. The following section outllines actions to be taken in the event of a positive test.
What to do if a case of COVID-19 is confirmed in the university
Public Health England Health Protection Team will contact the university to discuss the case, identify people who have been in contact with them and advise on any actions or precautions that should be taken. An assessment of each student/staff will be undertaken by the Health Protection Team with relevant staff. Advice on the management of staff/students and staff will be based on this assessment.
The Health Protection Team will also be in contact with the patient directly to advise on isolation and identifying other contacts and will be in touch with any contacts of the patient to provide them with appropriate advice. All the communal areas such as classrooms, changing rooms and toilets will be cleaned.
If there is a confirmed case, a risk assessment will be undertaken by the university with advice from the local Health Protection Team. The university will take the decision based on various factors involved in the analysis and risk.
What to do if students or staff in in the university are contacts of a confirmed case of COVID-19 who was symptomatic while attending the university
The definition of a contact includes:
any Staff/ student in close face-to-face or touching contact including those undertaking small group work (within 2 metres of the case for more than 15 minutes)
talking with or being coughed on for any length of time while the individual is symptomatic
anyone who has cleaned up any bodily fluids of the individual
close friendship groups
any pupil, student or staff member living in the same household as a confirmed case, or equivalent setting such as boarding school dormitory or other student accommodation
Contacts are not considered cases and if they are well, they are very unlikely to have spread the infection to others, however:
they will be asked to self-isolate at home, or within their boarding school dormitory room, for 14 days from the last time they had contact with the confirmed case and follow the home isolation advice sheet
they will be actively followed up by the Health Protection Team
if they develop any symptoms within their 14-day observation period they should call NHS 111 for assessment
if they become unwell with cough, fever or shortness of breath they will be tested for COVID-19
if they require emergency medical attention, call 999 and tell the call handler or ambulance control that the person has a history of potential contact with COVID-19
if they are unwell at any time within their 14-day observation period and they test positive for COVID-19 they will become a confirmed case and will be treated for the infection
The decision as to whether saff or students fall into this contact group or the closer contact group will be made between the Health Protection Team, the University and the student. Advice should be given as follows:
if they become unwell with cough, fever or shortness of breath they will be asked to self-isolate and should seek medical advice from NHS 111
if they are unwell at any time within the 14 days of contact and they are tested and are positive for COVID-19 they will become a confirmed case and will be treated as such.
What to do if staff or students from the university have travelled from any Category 1 specified country/area in the past 14 days
If an individual fall into this category, contact NHS 111 for further advice:
if they are currently well, they should self-isolate for 14 days and you should follow the advice as above for contacts of confirmed cases in the educational setting
if they become unwell please call NHS 111 immediately for them to be assessed by an appropriate specialist. You should follow the advice as above for contacts of confirmed cases in the University. If they require emergency medical attention, call 999 and tell the call handler or ambulance control that the person has a history of recent travel to risk areas for COVID-19.
What to do if a staff or student has travelled from a Category 2 specified country/area in the last 14 days
If they are currently well:
they are advised to self-isolate only if they develop symptoms
they can continue to attend work or university
they do not need to avoid contact with other people
their family do not need to take any precautions or make any changes to their own activities
testing people with no symptoms for COVID-19 is currently not recommended
it is useful to always take a mobile phone with them when they go out so that they can contact others if they do become unwell
If they become unwell:
they should stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as they would with other flu viruses (see this home isolation advice sheet).
they (or a family member, colleague or member of staff) should call NHS 111 immediately for them to be assessed by an appropriate specialist, as quickly as possible
they should stay at home and should not attend work /classes
they should not go directly to their GP or other healthcare environment
if they require emergency medical attention, call 999 and tell the call handler or ambulance control that the person has a history of recent travel to risk areas for COVID-19
see further information and the Public Health England Blog
What to do if staff or students return from travel anywhere else in the world within the last 14 days
Currently there are minimal cases outside the risk areas and therefore the likelihood of an individual coming into contact with a confirmed case is low.
There is no need to advise any of these staff/students to avoid normal activities unless they have had contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19.
If individuals are aware that they have had close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 they should contact NHS 111 for further advice.
How to clean the university where there were students or staff with suspected cases of COVID-19
Once symptomatic, all surfaces that the suspected case has come into contact with must be cleaned using disposable cloths and household detergents, according to current recommended workplace legislation and practice.
Public areas where a symptomatic individual has passed through and spent minimal time in (such as corridors) but which are not visibly contaminated with body fluids do not need to be specially cleaned and disinfected. If a person becomes ill in a shared space, these should be cleaned.
What to do with rubbish in the university, including tissues, if students or staff become unwell with suspected COVID-19
All waste that has been in contact with the individual, including used tissues, and masks if used, should be put in a plastic rubbish bag and tied when full. The plastic bag should then be placed in a second bin bag and tied. It should be put in a safe place and marked for storage until the result is available. If the individual tests negative, this can be put in the normal waste.
Should the individual test positive, you will be instructed what to do with the waste.
