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Coronavirus: Can I still walk my dog? And other questions Coronavirus: Can I make a cake for a friend? And other questions
(8 days later)
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus across the globe has reached one million. More than 33,000 people have tested positive for the disease in the UK, and more than 2,900 people have now died here. There have now been more than 1.4 million coronavirus cases around the globe, and more than 80,000 deaths. Nearly 9,000 people have died in the UK.
Here are the answers to some of the most common readers' questions about the current situation. Readers have been getting in touch via Instagram to ask questions about the outbreak.
Can I walk my dog under the category of daily exercise? - James Leslie, Burgess Hill Is it safe to bake a friend cake for her birthday send it to her? - Samantha
Yes you can. It's hard to not be able to see our friends and family in person, especially on special occasions, so sending a gift shows we are thinking of them.
According to government advice for people with animals, if you have a dog that needs walking, you should count this as the one form of exercise you take every day. There is no evidence of Covid-19 being transmitted through food, and thorough cooking will kill the virus. The UK Food Standards Agency website has advice on food safety.
It's important that you should remain 2m away from anyone outside your household while walking your dog. If you aren't displaying coronavirus symptoms, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before you start baking.
There is no guidance from the government on whether your dog should be on a lead, but some parks, including The Royal Parks, insist on this as a rule, to help ensure people maintain social distance. If you are showing symptoms of the virus - or have been in contact with someone who has - then it's probably not a good idea to prepare food for somebody else.
As well as your daily exercise, you may also leave the house to care for a vulnerable person, and this care may involve walking their dog. That's because coronavirus spreads through small droplets - packed with the virus - expelled by a sufferer if they cough or sneeze. These can cause an infection if they are breathed in, or if someone touches a surface on which they have landed.
When you do this, you should always remember to wash your hands before and after handling the dog, and remain 2m away from the owner. While the chance of contracting coronavirus through food delivery is low, it does exist.
How long does the virus live on different surfaces? A friend gets my paper and shopping, and I have meals delivered - how do I unpack? - Mrs Rye, Crewe The tin or box the cake is placed in probably presents a higher risk than the cake itself, so your friend should rinse the packaging when she receives the cake.
Covid-19 is primarily spread in tiny droplets released from the nose and mouth of an infected person as they cough. The most common way for the virus to be transmitted appears to be through close contact with an infected person. If you're dropping the cake off yourself, you should maintain social distancing by ensuring you stay 2m (6ft) apart from each other.
However, evidence suggests the virus can live for an extended time outside of the body, including on surfaces. If you touch a contaminated surface and then your nose or mouth, there's a possibility you could become infected. Can you catch coronavirus from your dog or cat? - Javed
A study published last month suggests the virus survives longest on plastic and stainless steel surfaces - up to two to three days - and can live for up to 24 hours on cardboard. However, over that time the virus is likely to become less powerful. This is highly unlikely to happen, according to scientists and vets.
Where possible, it is a good idea to either disinfect the packaging with kitchen spray or discard it before washing your hands with soap and water. There have been no cases of pets passing the coronavirus to humans, and the same was true during the Sars outbreak in 2003, when there was not a single case of pet-to-human transmission.
For items like a newspaper that can't be washed, the likelihood of transmission is low, but it still makes sense to practise regular hand washing. Sars is a very closely-related virus to the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
Bearing in mind the virus's durability, it's also worth regularly disinfecting plastic and stainless steel surfaces such as door handles. It is possible that a pet's fur could become contaminated if an infected person has previously touched or stroked the animal.
Is it safe to buy fruit and veg, including salad food that is not in any packaging and if it is not, what should I do to make it safe? - R Doyle, Berkeley As always, you should wash your hands with soap and water after handling an animal or its lead, and avoid touching your nose and mouth.
The British Retail Consortium says retailers and their suppliers are continuing to work to the highest standards of hygiene when handling products, and are observing safety processes set by the Food Standards Agency and Public Health England. The novel coronavirus is thought to have originated in wildlife and passed to humans via a live animal market, but it is likely the first people infected actually ate infected meat. Since then it has been spread from person to person.
However, it makes sense to wash unpackaged items such as fruit and vegetables thoroughly under running water, before leaving them to dry. You should also then wash your hands with soap and water. However, a Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo recently tested positive for the virus. She was thought to have been infected by an asymptomatic zookeeper, so there is evidence of human-to-animal transmission.
Is there a particular blood group more prone to Covid-19? - Gregory Cassidy, Belfast How do you practise safe sex during a pandemic?
There may be a chance some blood types have a higher risk of getting a serious dose of Covid-19 than others, a small early study suggests. If you live with your partner, they count as being part of your household. If neither of you is showing coronavirus symptoms and you are already in close contact, having sex won't increase the likelihood of you catching the virus from one another. If one person does have symptoms, they should be self-isolating in a separate room.
Researchers assessed 2,173 coronavirus hospital patients in Shenzhen and Wuhan in China, where the outbreak originated. Using contraception such as condoms won't alter your risk of catching the virus, as having sex will bring you into close physical contact anyway.
They found patients with A blood group types were more likely to have been hospitalised than average, while those with an O blood group type were less likely. "If you are going to touch each other's genitals it's likely that you will potentially be kissing at the same time - and we know the virus is passed through saliva," Dr Alex George told the BBC's Newsbeat.
In the local population, 32% had a type A blood group, compared with 38% of those in hospital. Meanwhile, 34% of residents had type 0 blood, compared with 26% in hospital. "Essentially, any possibility of transfer of coronavirus - from your mouth to your hands, to genitals, to someone else's nose or mouth - increases the risk of passing on coronavirus."
However, this study has not yet been peer reviewed and only covered a small area, so these links may be coincidental. Everyone should be doing all they can to avoid catching the virus and passing it on to others, regardless of their blood type. Are casual hook-ups dangerous? - May
What is the current policy on birthing partners? - Daniela Sponder, Croydon Engaging in casual hook-ups is a bad idea at the moment. It's against government guidelines to leave your home for a non-essential reason, to make unnecessary journeys or to meet up with someone who is not living with you. Having close physical contact with someone not in your household could spread coronavirus, as there is no way for you to tell whether you or the other person may be carrying it.
Expectant mothers should be encouraged to have a birth partner with them during labour and birth, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says, unless the partner is showing symptoms of coronavirus. Is it safe to try for a baby in this coronavirus situation? - Sam
As local trusts may place restrictions on visitors, partners may not be able to go to antenatal appointments, or stay with women on antenatal or postnatal wards. But this doesn't mean they cannot attend the birth, as long as they feel well. We still don't know fully how Covid-19 affects pregnant women, but they have been placed into the "high risk" category meaning they should minimise all social contact.
Some NHS trusts will allow only one birth partner to be in attendance, where previously they had allowed two. There were reports that others had banned partners' attendance altogether, before doing a U-turn on official advice. We also don't know how long the pandemic will last, and going into hospital for essential scans and check-ups is likely to increase your risk of contracting the virus.
Understandably, some pregnant women feel nervous about going into a hospital in case it increases their risk of catching the coronavirus. You could also find that birthing options are reduced and resources more stretched than usual. However, if you are already pregnant, the important thing is not to panic and to still attend essential hospital appointments.
Maternity units are carrying out some consultations over the phone or via video link, but some in-person visits with the midwife are essential for the wellbeing of the mother and baby, the Royal College of Midwives says. How risky is coronavirus for teens with asthma? - Teresa
It adds that home births may no longer be available in some local areas, mainly due to staff and ambulance shortages, but maternity wards are being kept as separate from Covid-19 treatment areas as possible. Because coronavirus attacks the respiratory system, anyone with existing breathing problems is at higher risk. Those with severe asthma have been placed in the "extremely vulnerable" group, meaning they are advised to stay at home for at least 12 weeks and should have been contacted by the government.
Those with mild asthma should still practise social distancing and only go out for essentials. If you start displaying coronavirus symptoms that do not improve after seven days, or you have difficulty breathing, make sure you call 111 or 999 and explain that you have asthma.
When people with asthma get respiratory infections, it can set off their asthma symptoms. Asthma UK recommends you keep taking your preventer inhaler daily as prescribed, to help cut the risk of an asthma attack being triggered by coronavirus. You should also carry your reliever inhaler with you every day, in case you feel your asthma symptoms flaring up.
Are young people who smoke weed or tobacco at more risk? - Eric
Smokers are more likely to have certain serious complications from coronavirus than other people, Public Health England says.
It points to early studies in China that indicate smokers with Covid-19 are 14 times more likely to develop severe respiratory disease.
Smoking tobacco or illegal drugs damages the lungs and airways, causing a range of respiratory problems. The coronavirus attacks the respiratory system, placing smokers at greater risk.
There is also evidence it suppresses and harms the immune system, with smokers twice as likely to catch pneumonia as non-smokers.
Smokers are also likely to regularly touch their mouth, increasing their risk of infection.
Sharing cigarettes or spliffs with others also makes you susceptible to catching coronavirus, which can be transmitted through saliva and via surfaces.
What do I need to know about the coronavirus?What do I need to know about the coronavirus?
We're about to exchange on a house but have been advised by the solicitor not to. When will restrictions on house purchases be lifted? - Christian Jackson, South London
There are currently no formal restrictions on moving house, although the government has strongly advised against it where possible. It says that while there is no need to pull out of transactions, buyers and renters should delay moving so they can observe social distancing and self-isolating guidelines.
If the house you are moving into is empty, it's fine to carry on as long as these rules are observed during the removals process. If the property is occupied, the government is encouraging the buyer and seller to find an alternative moving date further down the line.
Mortgage lenders have also been tightening their restrictions, with some requiring a deposit of at least 25%. But this doesn't affect mortgages which have already been agreed. Many lenders are offering customers who have already exchanged the option to extend their mortgage offer for up to three months so that they can move at a later date.
This timeframe may give you some idea of how long all of this could go on for, although nobody knows for sure.
The house buying process differs between Scotland and England and Wales, but the advice on delaying a move is the same.
What questions do you have about coronavirus? Do you want to ask it on BBC News? Get in touch and we may ask you to send us a video of you asking your question.What questions do you have about coronavirus? Do you want to ask it on BBC News? Get in touch and we may ask you to send us a video of you asking your question.
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