Viruses like Coronavirus are most infectious before people have any symptoms. This means that someone can have the virus without knowing about it, and easily pass it on. They won’t be aware of the risk to other people until it’s too late.
When in close contact with someone, we are at risk of picking up any germs they have caught from anyone they have met in the last two weeks. We could then pass germs on to someone who is more at risk from becoming ill, maybe because of their age, their health, or if they have not been vaccinated. This is why it is still important to try to avoid catching and passing on germs.
What can I do?
The best thing we can do to protect ourselves and others is to have the vaccine if/when it is available to you. It is also important to keep testing – especially when you have symptoms or if you will be spending time around others. These things really help to keep us all more protected, but they can’t completely stop the risk of catching and spreading Coronavirus.
That’s why it’s so important for everyone to still follow advice about ways we can all help to reduce the spread of Coronavirus. Germ Defence can help with this.
This picture shows how easy it is for you to catch and spread a virus without knowing:
- Chloe met her friend Joshua who seemed well
- But Joshua had Coronavirus and he passed it on to Chloe
- Chloe then passed it on to her friend Eve, without either of them knowing
- Eve has relatives and friends who are at risk if they catch the virus
How will Germ Defence help?
This website will help you find out how to reduce the risk at home and in school. The more each of us can do to reduce risk, the better for everyone. After a bit of practice, the ideas and advice in Germ Defence will become habits - and they will help protect you, your family and friends from other germs in the future.