Friday 18 June 2021
In this update:
-
COVID-19 case rates rise in Devon
-
Next call for first and second jabs
-
Devon’s mobile community testing sites report steady demand
-
Sign up to be part of world-first COVID-19 vaccine booster study in Devon
-
Support available for people experiencing ‘Long COVID’
 COVID-19 case rates rise in Devon
The COVID-19 case rate in Devon has been increasing over the past couple of weeks, a pattern which is reflected both regionally and nationally. The latest rate for Devon is 26.7 per 100,000 which is well below the national average of 77.5 per 100,000.
Across the districts in Devon, Exeter has the highest rate of COVID-19 cases (59.4 per 100,000), many of which relate to a couple of recent outbreaks.
Driving that UK-wide escalation is the latest Delta strain of the virus, because it spreads more easily between people than previous variants of coronavirus. Public Health England have some useful information about COVID-19 variants on their website.
Coronavirus spreads through social contact, so the government announcement this week that the lifting of many restrictions will be delayed until Monday 19 July is good from the public health perspective, because most of the rules limiting social contact will remain in place for a while longer, allowing more people to get those all important first and second dose vaccinations.
But from the economic perspective, delaying the lifting of restrictions is bad for businesses. Our Leader, Councillor John Hart, this week repeated his plea to the government to ensure that Devon’s hospitality businesses continue to receive support, and he said the council will do everything it can to ensure our economy recovers strongly from the pandemic.
You can read more on our News Centre.
 A plea to be careful
The latest data in Devon shows the largest volume of positive COVID-19 cases are among young people and the younger working age population, 20 to 39 year olds.
It's probably less to do with the fact they're working - we're not seeing an especially high number of outbreaks in workplace settings - and more likely that these age groups are just beginning to be vaccinated, so until now they haven't been as well protected as older, already vaccinated, age groups.
It is also likely that this is an age group that tends to mix more socially. We know that increased socialising, particularly indoors, increases the risk of transmission, and with pubs, restaurants and many other places open again, the opportunity for social contact is much more available.
So, here's a plea to everyone, including this younger working age population. Please be mindful. We’ve still got to be careful. There are still rules, especially around social distancing and face coverings indoors, and we need to follow them. And please take up the vaccination when you’re invited to do so.
 Next call for first and second COVID-19 vaccine jabs
As the largest ever NHS vaccination programme enters its last lap, all adults can now book a life-saving COVID-19 vaccine.
The NHS is sending around 1.5 million texts to people aged 18 to 20 years old inviting them to arrange a jab as soon as possible.
People aged 40 years old and over are also being urged to book their second jab on the national booking service website, for appointment dates eight weeks after their first dose.
Anyone aged 40 years old and over who has already booked their second jab at 12 weeks via the national booking service website, will need to cancel their appointment and re-book for an earlier eight week slot. There is no need to worry about cancelling any existing booking because there are plenty of booking slots available for an earlier appointment.
Second jabs are vital to ensure maximum protection against the latest, more contagious, Delta variant. Studies have found the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be 96 per cent effective against hospitalisation after two doses, and the Oxford-AstraZenaca is 92 per cent effective.
The last push to offer all adults a vaccination appointment comes as the NHS in England passed the milestone of having delivered 60 million doses across England in just six months. Over 1.3 million doses have been given so far in Devon, at over 20 local vaccination sites, with almost eight in 10 adults taking up the offer of the jab and nine in 10 adults aged over 60 years old having had both doses.
The offer of the vaccine remains open, so if you have been invited but are yet to make an appointment, please do so as soon as possible. Bookings can be made via the national booking service website, while people who cannot get online can call the service on 119.
 Which COVID-19 test is appropriate and when?
We're hearing of situations where people who have a high temperature, or a new and continuous cough, or a change to their usual sense of taste or smell, are taking a rapid lateral flow device test to find out whether they have COVID-19. And then they're getting on with their day if the result is negative.
But the rapid lateral flow tests are not for people who have symptoms of having coronavirus - they're only to be used if you do not have any symptoms - and anyone with symptoms needs to self-isolate.
Steve Brown, Director of Public Health Devon, makes it clear.
"Lateral flow device tests are for people who do not show any symptoms of having coronavirus.
"While awaiting your result, you must still self-isolate. Self-isolating is a vital step in preventing the spread of coronavirus and it's essential that we strictly follow that rule."
If you test negative with a PCR test, you would not need to continue self-isolating unless there are other reasons to do so, which are:
-
you live with someone else who has tested positive
-
you live with someone who has symptoms, and has not had a test yet
-
you've been told to self-isolate because you're been in close contact with someone else who has tested positive
-
you had a PCR test because you'd previously had a positive result for a lateral flow (LFD) test and there were more than two days between those tests (in England)
For more information about COVID-19 testing in Devon, please visit our website.
 Devon’s mobile community testing sites report steady demand
Devon's mobile community testing sites are reporting a steady demand for lateral flow device (LFD) COVID-19 testing, with 516 assisted tests conducted last week and 18,000 tests handed out for people to do themselves at home.
We set up our mobile community testing sites when lateral flow device tests first became available, and now have them located across the county. These are the rapid test kits for people who show no symptoms of having the virus and that provide a result within half an hour.
People are advised to take these tests regularly – twice a week, plus whenever they plan to meet up socially with others. They’re an essential part of stopping the spread of coronavirus, because one in three people with COVID-19 don’t show any symptoms of having it, and they could be spreading the virus to others unknowingly.
The rapid lateral flow device test kits are widely available to collect from pharmacies and testing sites across Devon and can also be ordered online to be delivered to your door. And if you need help doing a test, you can visit one of our community testing sites too.
Lee Meaden, who manages our Community Testing programme, said:
“Even though LFD test kits are available and it’s easy for people to do the tests themselves at home, we are finding a lot of people are still preferring to have assistance from us to take the test. Our mobile testing units and staff are ready and happy to help. No booking is required. And we’ll get the result to you within half an hour, allowing you to get on with your day.”
A negative lateral flow test result indicates that you are unlikely to be carrying the virus, but you must still comply with the rules around social distancing, wearing a face covering when indoors in public places, and wash your hands regularly.
A positive lateral flow test result will require you to self-isolate and arrange a confirmatory PCR test, and you must self-isolate pending the result of that PCR test.
 Support available for people experiencing ‘Long COVID’
Long COVID describes the prolonged symptoms following a COVID infection, and is something that many people are experiencing. The symptoms have a significant impact on a person's physical recovery, psychological wellbeing, or ability to perform usual activities.
Plymouth resident, Charlie, has made a video describing her experience of having Long COVID, and how it is impacting on her life. In it she talks very openly about how her deterioration has affected not just her physical and mental health, but also how it affects her young daughters. She has set up a local support group in Plymouth for people like her, living with Long COVID, to give others the space and time to talk and share their experiences.
But if Plymouth is not on your doorstep, and you are experiencing prolonged symptoms that have followed having coronavirus, you can be referred to a Devon Long COVID service by your GP or hospital service. They will want to understand how long you've had the symptoms and when they started. You may be directed to another care service or be given advice about managing the conditions yourself.
You can also visit the NHS Your COVID Recovery website, which contains general information on all aspects of recovering from COVID-19, including physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing. It's for people with Long COVID and their families or carers, and it signposts to agencies that can help.
 Everyone working in care homes to be fully vaccinated under a new law to protect residents
Care home residents will be better protected from COVID-19, following confirmation by the government that people working in care homes will need to be fully vaccinated against the virus.
The new legislation means that from October – subject to Parliamentary approval and a subsequent 16-week grace period – anyone working in a CQC-registered care home in England for residents requiring nursing or personal care must have two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine unless they have a medical exemption.
It will apply to all workers employed directly by the care home or care home provider (on a full-time or part-time basis), those employed by an agency and deployed by the care home, and volunteers working in the care home.
Those going into care homes to do other work, for example healthcare workers, tradespeople, hairdressers and beauticians, and CQC inspectors will also have to follow the new regulations, unless they have a medical exemption.
The new regulations follow an extensive consultation with the social care sector, staff, residents and their families.
The government will launch a further consultation on whether to extend this new requirement to other settings where people vulnerable to COVID-19 receive care, such as domiciliary care and wider health and social care settings, and will also consider inclusion of the flu vaccine.
You can read the full story on the government's website.
 Support for people experiencing loneliness
The coronavirus pandemic, and the restrictions put on all our lives for over a year now, has had, and still is having, an impact on people’s independence.
Through lockdowns, and even as restrictions start to lift, a lot of people have become more inward facing, worried perhaps about how we emerge from the pandemic. And for many, it leaves them still feeling isolated and lonely.
This week has been Loneliness Awareness Week. Research by The Marmalade Trust, shows that 40 per cent of people experiencing loneliness will not reach out to talk to others about it. And yet sharing their experiences with others is to be encouraged.
Support for people experiencing loneliness is available. To find out more, please visit our website.
 Sign up to be part of world-first COVID-19 vaccine booster study in Devon
Researchers in Devon are recruiting around 150 participants to a world-first clinical trial which assesses the effect of a third ‘booster’ dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The Cov-Boost study will give people a third dose of a vaccine to see whether it offers better protection against the virus than the standard two injections.
Dr Ray Sheridan, Consultant at the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Exeter, said:
“This new trial is an incredibly exciting opportunity for us to understand how effective a booster of each vaccine is in protecting against the virus and will be available to inform UK immunisation policy.
“We are particularly looking to recruit participants over the age of 70 and who were given both doses of the Pfizer vaccine before Friday 2 April 2021, and those under 70 years of age who received both doses of the Astra Zeneca vaccine before Friday 16 April 2021.”
The study will look at seven COVID-19 vaccines - Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax, Valneva, Janssen and Curevac - as potential boosters, given at least ten to twelve weeks after a second dose.
The Exeter branch of the study is being hosted by the Royal Devon and Exeter (RD&E) NHS Foundation Trust and is held at the former NHS Nightingale Hospital Exeter site.
To see if you’re eligible to take part, please visit the Cov-Boost website to complete the pre-screening questionnaire before Sunday 27 June 2021.
 Small delay for our local libraries
Meanwhile, our interim arrangements still stand. Book browsing is available in almost all our libraries, with free access to computers, bookable in advance. Mobile libraries are out and about, with one household or bubble at a time able to browse the stock.
Indoor cafes in our libraries at Exeter, Newton Abbot and Cullompton are open, for individuals and groups up to six people, and outdoor spaces are also open where available.
The Home Library Service in Devon is being offered where volunteers are comfortable providing this service. Please contact your local library to enquire about availability.
There will be some changes coming into effect over the summer:
- Loans from the Monday 7 June have reverted to the standard three week period, and one week for DVDs
- From Thursday 1 July up to 20 books can be borrowed at any one time
- And reservation charges will recommence on Thursday 1 July
Visitors to our libraries are asked to follow the public health advice, to follow social distancing rules, wear a face covering when in the library, and to wash their hands regularly.
For more information please visit the Libraries Unlimited website.
|
