Coronavirus: Morning update as public urged to seek medical help

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52422170

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Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus outbreak this Saturday. We'll have another update for you on Sunday.

1. NHS open for business

Health professionals are urging people who need medical care to not be put off by the coronavirus crisis. There is concern people are not using the NHS either because they don't want to be a burden, or because they are worried about catching the virus. Treatment for heart attacks and strokes has gone down, while half the usual number of people are going to A&E.

2. Applause 'not enough'

The clapping for NHS and other key workers has become a weekly Thursday ritual in the UK, but a union leader says that while it is "great" - the applause "is not enough". NHS workers, police and firefighters must get better pay and treatment after they "see us through" this crisis, says Matt Wrack, of the Fire Brigades Union. Who decides what key workers earn?

3. Cummings attended key scientific group meetings

It has emerged that Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson's chief adviser, attended meetings of the scientific body advising the government on the outbreak but Downing Street says he was not a member of it, nor on the panel. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, whose role is to provide independent advice, is helping to shape the UK's response to the pandemic.

4. Should I worry about my lockdown eating?

As the weeks of living in lockdown take their toll, many of us are raiding the fridge for comfort food. One of those is Amy Hodgson, 24, who says she gained 4lb in a week because she kept going to the cupboards out of boredom. So are we actually eating more? And what can you do if you are overeating?

5. Paralysed sportsman climbs Everest on stairs

Former rugby player Ed Jackson, from Bath, who was paralysed in 2017, has climbed the equivalent height of Mount Everest on his parents' staircase. To simulate the ascent of Everest's 8,848m peak he climbed 89,056 steps - amounting to 2,783 trips up and down the stairs - to raise money.

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And don't forget...

You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.

Find out how close the UK is to 100,000 tests a day

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