Millions of asthmatics and all Britons who get the flu shot on the NHS need to socialize less to prevent serious illnesses caused by the coronavirus, a top physician has warned.
The NHS considers eight adults with long-term conditions, including respiratory disease, necessary to get a free flu shot every winter.
Jonathan Van-Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, said the social distance advice for those at-risk groups was “very strong.”
It follows the government’s advice that those at increased risk of serious diseases due to coronavirus should be particularly strict in following the social distance measures announced yesterday.
British demanded more clarity about who exactly falls into that segment, as health conditions are so common today.
Asthma patients are more likely to become seriously ill if they receive COVID-19. But they won’t catch the bug before anyone else.
Jonathan Van-Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, said people who get a free flu shot should be extra careful about socializing over BBC breakfast
Asthma patients are more likely to become seriously ill if they receive COVID-19. But they will catch the bug no sooner than anyone (stock)
Professor Van-Tam said in Westminster that social restrictions apply especially to anyone who gets flu bites, except children.
He was specifically asked about asthmatics and told BBC Breakfast: ‘I don’t want to go into detail about all risk groups, but we say it’s the people who get flu vaccines, except children, that fit that risk category, people for whom the advice on social distance is strong. ‘
Asthma affects more than five million people in the UK, according to Asthma UK. About 200,000 have a severe form of the condition.
The lead charity said it was aware of the increased concern among patients about what this would mean for them.
The condition narrows the airways – the tiny tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs – making it harder to breathe.
Coronavirus is a respiratory disease and can therefore worsen asthma symptoms. It can lead to a life-threatening asthma attack.
After a fever and persistent cough, COVID-19 can cause shortness of breath and chest pain, and rarely pneumonia.
Risk groups also include people with other long-term chronic respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, or bronchitis.
According to a study in China, about six percent of COVID-19 patients who also had chronic respiratory disease died.
The study by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 72,314 COVID-19 patients also found that 10 percent of patients with heart disease did not survive.
According to government guidelines, the disruption of daily life is expected to last for a long time and people with chronic conditions should be “shielded” from social contact for about three months.
Healthy people under the age of 70 have been urged to work from home if possible, to avoid or go out of social contacts and to stop all non-essential travel
Data from China shows that 6.3 percent of people with COVID-19 and a chronic respiratory disease like asthma died, compared to 0.9 percent of healthy people
Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled the new prevention advice for COVID-19 yesterday, saying, “In a few days it will be necessary to move forward in the coming weekend and ensure that those with the most serious health problems are largely protected from social contact for about 12 weeks.
“Again, the reason for doing this in the coming days rather than sooner or later is that it will be very disruptive to people with such conditions.”
But No. 10 was printed for more details on who the most ‘vulnerable’ people really are.
Baffled British took to social media with a Twitter user saying, ‘What are these underlying health issues? Most adults I know have some kind of underlying health problem … very vague all this. ‘
A huge 43 percent of adults in England – about 18 million people – live with long-term health problems, according to an NHS study.
Five percent of those people have asthma, according to NHS England’s Health Survey for England.
According to Asthma UK, from March 23, everyone with severe asthma who is difficult to treat will be contacted.
The government is also urged to reveal exactly what health problems the 53 coronavirus fatalities in the UK had before they died.
Almost 2000 cases are currently registered in the UK. However, it is likely that this figure is actually much higher.
The ‘shielding period’ has been implemented at a time when there is maximum protection, which coincides with the peak of the disease.
.