Testing for coronavirus (Covid-19) has been expanded to everyone over the age of five with symptoms. People can ask for a test if they, or a member of their household, have the recent onset of any of the following symptoms:

• a new continuous cough
• a high temperature
• a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of smell or taste (anosmia)

The test needs to be done in the first 5 days of having symptoms (it is better to apply for a test in the first 3 days if possible).

Members of the public (who are not essential workers) who have symptoms of coronavirus should use the national booking system by visiting the NHS Website. Those who do not have any access to the internet, or who have difficulty with the digital portals, are able to ring a new 119 service to book their test.

People experiencing any of the above symptoms and their household members should self-isolate immediately. If you need medical advice about your symptoms use NHS 111 online or call NHS 111.

Essential Workers, and members of their household, who have symptoms can use the dedicated local arrangement (by speaking to their employer) or should register for a test through the Self-Referral and Employer Portals on gov.uk.

Care Homes in England can continue to register for delivery of tests for all their staff and residents, whether or not they have symptoms. More information about this can be found on the gov.uk website.

Testing can either be done at home by applying for a home testing kit or by registering for an appointment at a drive-through testing centre.

Testing is provided at drive-through testing centres, currently by appointment only, and the correct booking procedures must be followed in order to avoid being turned away.

In Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin this may be at our Regional Testing Site at in Ironbridge or a Mobile Testing Unit which operates from sites in Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Ludlow on a rotational basis, or further afield, at a regionally based drive-through testing centre.

The test itself involves taking a swab of the inside of the nose and the back of the throat, using a long cotton bud. This can be done by the person themselves or by someone else. Results of the test and subsequent advice will be provided.

You’ll be contacted by email, text or phone.

Text messages will come from the NHS. Calls will come from 0300 0135000. Children under 18 will be contacted by phone wherever possible and asked for their parent or guardian’s permission to continue the call. You’ll be asked to sign in to the NHS Test and Trace contact tracing website at https://contact-tracing.phe.gov.uk. If you cannot use the contact tracing website, they will call you.

Important! NHS Test and Trace will NOT:

• Ask you for details of card or bank account numbers
• Ask you to set up a password or PIN number over the phone
• Ask you to provide or fill in social media login details
• Ask you to download anything
• Ask you to call a premium rate number, such as those starting 09 or 087.

Scam text messages often encourage the recipient to click a link that redirects them to an unsecured website where personal information may be stolen.

NHS Test and Trace will only ever call from the number 0300 013 5000, or you will be texted from “NHS”.

• NHS Test and Trace service to form a central part of the government’s coronavirus recovery strategy
• Anyone with symptoms will be tested and their close contacts will be traced
• New guidance means those who have been in close contact with someone who tests positive must isolate for 14 days, even if they have no symptoms, to avoid unknowingly spreading the virus

The service will help identify, contain and control coronavirus, reduce the spread of the virus and save lives.

Anyone who tests positive for coronavirus will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and will need to share information about their recent interactions. This could include household members, people with whom they have been in direct contact, or within 2 metres for more than 15 minutes.

People identified as having been in close contact with someone who has a positive test must stay at home for 14 days, even if they do not have symptoms, to stop unknowingly spreading the virus.

If those in isolation develop symptoms, they can book a test through the NHS Website or by calling 119. If they test positive, they must continue to stay at home for 7 days or until their symptoms have passed. If they test negative, they must complete the 14-day isolation period.

Members of their household will not have to stay at home unless the person identified becomes symptomatic, at which point they must also self-isolate for 14 days to avoid unknowingly spreading the virus.

1. Test: increasing availability and speed of testing will underpin NHS Test and Trace.
2. Trace: when someone tests positive for coronavirus the NHS Test and Trace service will use dedicated contact tracing staff, online services and local public health experts to identify any close recent contacts they’ve had and alert those most at risk of having the virus who need to self-isolate. This will be complemented by the rollout of the NHS Covid-19 App in the coming weeks.
3. Contain: A national Joint Biosecurity Centre will work with local authorities and public health teams in PHE, including local Directors of Public Health, to identify localised outbreaks and support effective local responses, including plans to quickly deploy testing facilities to particular locations. Local authorities have been supported by £300m of new funding to help local authorities develop their own local outbreak control plans.
   4. Enable: Government to learn more about the virus, including as the science develops, to explore how we could go further in easing infection control measures.

The NHS Test and Trace service, including 25,000 dedicated contact tracing staff working with Public Health England, will have the capacity to trace the contacts of 10,000 people who test positive for coronavirus per day and can be scaled up if needed.

The rollout of the NHS Test and Trace service has been made possible by the rapid expansion of testing. The largest network of diagnostic testing facilities in British history has been created and will soon have the capacity to carry out 200,000 tests a day. This includes 50 drive-through sites, more than 100 mobile testing units and 3 mega laboratories.

People who are contacted by the NHS Test and Trace service will be given clear information explaining what they must do and how they can access local support if needed. Guidance is also available online at gov.uk/coronavirus. This comes as the Department for Work and Pensions has announced that those having to self-isolate will be eligible for statutory sick pay if they are unable to work from home. This applies across the four nations of the UK.

More information on test and trace is available on the gov.uk website.

Signal: local help and support

Advice in BSL: Daily updates provided by the Deaf Health Charity Signhealth

NHS 111 Symptom Checker with British Sign Language Interpretation  

Government information

• Advice in different languages
• Videos in different languages
• My Hero is You: Storybook for Children aimed to help the understand and come to terms with COVID-19 which has been translated into over 80 languages
• Doctors of the World and the British Red Cross have developed Coronavirus guidance in a range of 60 languages

Every Mind Matters, top ten tips:

Bengali
Gujarati 
Polish 
Punjabi 
Romani 
Romanian 
Russian 
Somali 
Urdu 

• All About the coronavirus- What to expect if someone I know goes into Hospital
• Easy Read Guidance
• Easy Read Poster
• Patient passport – this is a brief passport which people with a Learning Disability, their family, friend or carer can complete at home and bring in with them if they need to be admitted to help us know more about them
• The “Hand Washing Rap” video
• What Happens if I go to Hospital? – Easy Read Patient Information Leaflet
• Shopping online
• There is a new Common Question sheet
• Looking after your feelings and your body

An introduction to coronavirus
Coronavirus information

Books beyond words are books with no text – they have no language barrier, and can be easier to understand. The books can be used by the images alone or through looking at the images with someone who shares the story with you. The books help the person to tell the story in their own words and start discussion on what is seen.

• Beating the Virus
• Jack Plans Ahead for coronavirus
• Bereavement during coronavirus
• Good Days and Bad Days During Lockdown