The most up-to-date information from these bulletins can be found on our website.
For general advice about COVID-19 please go to: nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
This bulletin covers:
COVID-19 guidance and updates: care home outbreak testing; hay fever or COVID
Vaccination: fourth jab boosts protection; over-75s and spring booster
Care home huddle: join us next week
Training: new managers webinar
Wellbeing and health: dementia action week; can’t pass it on
Events: care home open week
COVID-19 guidance and updates
Care home outbreak testing flowchart
COVID-19 testing for adult social care settings guidance, which outlines testing available for staff, residents and visitors for all adult social care services, was updated on 09 May.
A care home outbreak testing flowchart: staff and residents (PDF) and care home outbreak testing flowchart (HTML version) were added.
Hay fever or COVID
Telling the difference between seasonal hay fever and early symptoms of COVID can be a hard call as the symptoms are similar.
Hay fever tends to be milder and is usually worse between late March and September, especially when it’s warm, humid and windy. It can vary throughout the day or depending on the weather.
Hay fever is unlikely to be accompanied by a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or loss or change to sense of taste or smell.
Hay fever - NHS
COVID-19 symptoms - NHS
Vaccination
Fourth jab boosts protection, says new study
Latest results from the COV-BOOST trial (May 2022) suggest that COVID-19 vaccines given as fourth doses offer a strong immunity boost.
The research shows that a fourth dose mRNA vaccine is safe and boosts antibody levels - even higher than that of a third dose.
Professor Saul Faust, trial lead and director of NIHR Southampton Clinical Research, said: “These results underline the benefits of the most vulnerable people receiving current spring boosters and gives confidence for any prospective autumn booster programme in the UK, if the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation considers it needed at that time.”
Fourth dose jab trial shows good boost - BBC News
Research findings were published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.
Almost 80 per cent of eligible over-75s receive spring booster
UK Health Security Agency research (published 13 May) shows that almost 80 percent of eligible over-75s have received spring booster
The top-up jab is offered to all over-75s, those aged 12 and over who are immunosuppressed and residents in care homes for older people.
Up to 08 May, 79.2% of all those aged 75 and over who were eligible at the end of March had taken up the vaccine.
Care home huddle
Join us next week
Our next care home huddle is on 25 May at 11:00am.
Ross Boseley, East Sussex Public Health Specialist, will bring the latest public health updates and speakers include Juliet Bennett, Practice Educator at St. Wilfred’s Hospice, on the ECHO Project, building learning and support networks for end of life care.
There will also be a Q&A session with a clinical lead. Questions in advance are welcome: please email esxccg.carehomehuddle@nhs.net by 23 May.
Join the meeting
You can also watch a recording on YouTube of the April care home huddle, featuring public health updates and the non-emergency Patient Transport Service.
Training
New managers
Skills for Care is running a webinar tomorrow, 18 May, from 10:00am to 10:45am for new Registered Managers. It will provide an introduction to how Skills for Care can help you to be successful.
You’ll hear about practical ways to recruit, develop and lead your teams, as well as how to further your own development and different ways to connect with peer support and local expertise.
Register your place
Wellbeing and health
Dementia action week
It’s Dementia Action Week (16-22 May). The theme this year is diagnosis.
The week is organised by the Alzheimer’s Society and the charity has produced a short film: It's not called getting old which you can watch on YouTube.
Can’t pass it on
Someone living with HIV and on effective treatment can’t pass it on. This is one of the most positive messages someone living with HIV can hear. It reduces stigma and provides motivation to stay on treatment to keep both themselves and their sexual partners healthy.
Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) is offering a free ‘bitesize’ online version of their ‘Can’t Pass It On’: Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U) training on 23 May from 6.00pm until 7.30pm.
Register your place
Events
Care home open week
Care Home Open Week runs this year from 27 June to 03 July.
The organisation Championing Social Care is co-ordinating the event, which aims to showcase the excellent care that homes and their staff provide, and to enrich the lives of residents through connection with local communities.
Last year, according to Championing Social Care figures, almost 86 per cent of care homes agreed, or strongly agreed, that Care Home Open Week 2021 helped to promote their facilities, activities, and services.
We know how hard our care homes and their staff work for the benefit of the people they support, so Care Home Open Week is an opportunity to share what you do and how you do it with a wider audience in your local area.
You can register for Care Home Open Week to receive a range of promotional materials including tips and templates to publicise your event, access to a community Facebook group, and to feature on an interactive map.
The interactive map will show which local care homes will be celebrating during the week.
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