Sharing these newsletters
To share this newsletter on social media sites such as Facebook, please visit our COVID-19 Community Champions website www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/covid-champions where you will find links to this update and previous ones at the bottom of the page. Just copy and paste the link.
Read the MK COVID-19 Champions code of conduct here.
COVID-19 snapshot
 Click here to see and print the full COVID-19 snapshot as of ss of 13 January 2021 (data reported up to 10 January 2021)
Vaccine update
 Vaccine information leaflets, available in multiple languages, are available at:
COVID-19 Vaccine Guides
COVID-19 Vaccine guide for Older Adults
COVID-19 Vaccine guide for Older Adults (large print)
They explain all about the different types of vaccines, who should have them, how a vaccine can protect you, and what you should do/not do – plus much more.
COVID-19 and the benefits of Vitamin D
 Studies have been happening into the impact of vitamin D on COVID-19.
About two in five people in the UK are estimated to have a vitamin D deficiency in winter. The NHS says people should consider taking 10 micrograms (400IU) of vitamin D a day.
Low levels of vitamin D may lead to a greater risk of catching COVID-19 or suffering more severe effects of infection, according to several studies around the world.
Our skin makes vitamin D when exposed to strong sunlight, but older people and people with dark skin may need a top up, particularly while we are spending more time indoors.
Other sources of Vitamin D are egg yolks, oily fish such as salmon, sardines, herrings and mackerel, red meat and some fortified spreads and breakfast cereals.
More than 2.5 million clinically extremely vulnerable people and care home residents in England receive free Vitamin D supplements as part of new government guidelines.
Insight:
- Two hospitals in the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust have prescribed patients with vitamin D and noted fewer deaths – which may or may not be connected but as Dr Richard Quinton, a consultant endocrinologist at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle said: “Our view was that this treatment is so safe and the crisis is so enormous that we don’t have time to debate.”
- A French experimental study at a nursing home with 66 people suggested that taking regular vitamin D supplements was “associated with less severe COVID-19 and a better survival rate”.
- A study of 200 people in South Korea suggested that vitamin D deficiency could “decrease the immune defences against COVID-19 and cause progression to severe disease”.
- Preliminary research by Queen Elizabeth Hospital foundation trust and the University of East Anglia found a correlation between European countries with low vitamin D levels and coronavirus infection rates.
Read a media article on this here.
Other supplements which may help to boost your immune system more generally are vitamin C, zinc and echinacea.
Rapid frontline worker testing
 Testing for frontline key workers has started in MK, organised by MK council. A batch of 22,000 lateral flow tests are being used in a pilot scheme, initially testing local workers from within the police, fire services, social care and partners such as Serco (waste collection). Results are known within an hour.
Other local key workers and residents are asked not to turn up or contact the council for an appointment. In time the testing will be rolled out more widely.
Around one in three people who are infected with COVID-19 have no symptoms and could be spreading the disease without knowing it. Identifying these carriers among frontline teams mean finding positive cases more quickly, which helps break chains of transmission.
Is your workplace COVID-19 safe?
Are you being allowed to self-isolate when you should? If not, please let us know in confidence.
Email covidconcern@milton-keynes.gov.uk.
MK Council Local Support Service
The Local Support Service provides practical help to residents who are clinically extremely vulnerable and who have registered support needs through the National Shielding Service System.
Local GPs have identified that there are over 14,000 clinically extremely vulnerable people in Milton Keynes who would have received a letter advising them to shield. This groups have been advised to register any support needs through the National Shielding Support System (NSSS). Those contact details are then passed to the council to be followed up.
Residents needing support to self- isolate, who are unable to rely on the help of friends, neighbours or family, can register with the NHS Rep can also contact the support service by calling 01908 252398. Please note, this helpline is people who have no other support to turn to. Those with friends and neighbours who can help are asked to keep this resource free for people in need.
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Do you need financial support?
If you’re worried about your finances and how you are going to make ends meet, there is help available. Some frequently asked questions and links to financial support can be found on our website.
Free PPE for public service organisations
The following public service providers shall be provided with PPE
- Mental health community care
- Personal care assistants
- Domestic violence refuges
- Rough sleeping services
- All education (and childcare) services
If you are a public service provider and you need new supplies of PPE please contact us on ppe@milton-keynes.gov.uk or 07917 473993 for an order form. When you send your completed order to us, we will put a pack together and arrange your collection time.
Useful links
See the latest Government guidance here gov.uk/coronavirus.
Find COVID-19 Information from the NHS: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
To print and share this, please click "view it as a web page" at the top of this bulletin. This will take you to a web page with the option to print this off at the top.
To share this newsletter on social media sites such as Facebook, please visit our COVID-19 Community Champions website www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/covid-champions where you will find links to this update and previous ones at the bottom of the page. Just copy and paste the link.
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Let us know how we can improve: CovidChampions@Milton-Keynes.gov.uk
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