Most people recover from coronavirus within 4 weeks, but for some people symptoms can last longer, or new ones can develop. Symptoms can also change over time and can affect anywhere in the body. This is often referred to as long COVID and can include breathlessness, a cough, aches and pains, insomnia and low mood or anxiety.
The information on NHSinform.scot includes the most common symptoms, how a patient is assessed and how to manage ongoing symptoms.
NHS 24’s Medical Director, Dr Laura Ryan, says: “Coronavirus can vary from person to person, and sometimes recovery can take longer than we would like. The important thing is not to compare with others and to take the time to look after ourselves.
“The information on NHS inform can really help with managing ongoing symptoms until they do naturally fade away. Of course, you should contact your GP practice if you’re worried about the severity or persistence of your symptoms or they’re getting worse.”
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “It is important that people with long COVID symptoms get the right advice and having all the information in one place will hopefully make it easier for them. The information and support available at NHS inform has been designed to help people with their recovery.
“The Long COVID Support Fund was established with £10m last month and was designed to maximise and improve the co-ordination of a broad range of existing services across the health and social care system and Third Sector in response to the condition.”
Scottish Ambulance Service Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) teams have delivered more than one million tests in just over a year.
The MTUs have been one of biggest projects ever carried out at the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS).
There are now 39 MTU teams across the country and more than 1100 people employed by the Scottish Ambulance Service, providing a vital service to Scotland.
The MTUS can be dispatched quickly across the country so people in urban, rural and remote areas have easy access to a coronavirus test. The location of the units, planned by National Services Scotland and local resilience partnerships, changes regularly to reflect demand.
John Alexander, General Manager for the Mobile Testing Units (MTUs), said: “The introduction of MTUs has played an important role in the country’s fight against Covid-19, helping to control the spread of the virus.
“All of our MTU staff have done a fantastic job in providing tests to the people of Scotland over the past year and I’m extremely proud they’ve delivered more than one million tests since last September.”
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Humza Yousaf said: “Reaching one million tests is a major milestone and recognition of the hard work and dedication of Scottish Ambulance Service. My heartfelt thanks go to SAS staff for what they do every single day to care for, and support people across Scotland.
“Our COVID-19 Mobile Testing Units have played a crucial role in bringing testing resources to the communities who need it most. By identifying and isolating cases, we are breaking chains of transmission within those communities and giving us a better chance of stopping the virus from spreading.”
Free lateral flow test kits will be available for anyone without symptoms in Scotland
From today (Monday) everyone in Scotland will be able to access rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) testing, even if they have no symptoms.
Free lateral flow home test kits will be available for pick up without an appointment from many local walk-in or drive-through test sites from 3.30pm each day, or by ordering online or by phone, for people to test themselves twice-weekly.
The expansion is aimed at finding cases that would otherwise go undetected, so anyone testing positive can self-isolate and avoid transmitting the virus to those around them.
It means anyone without COVID-19 symptoms who does not already have access to asymptomatic testing in their workplace or community can test themselves. This includes anyone planning travel to a Scottish island so they can test themselves before their journey.
Each pack contains seven rapid lateral flow device tests that can provide results in around 30 minutes. A positive result means people should self-isolate with their household and order a PCR test to confirm the positive result.
Support for people who need to self-isolate is available, including a £500 self-isolation support grant for low income workers. People who do not have family or community support can also call the National Assistance Helpline on 0800 111 4000, or contact via textphone on 0800 111 4114.
Anyone who receives a negative result should continue to follow the restrictions and guidance currently in place, including FACTS, as a negative result is not a guarantee that someone does not have COVID-19.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith said: “This expansion builds on our existing testing strategy, and will help our efforts to ease the country out of lockdown safely. Routine testing is already available for people with no symptoms in a wide-range of settings, including schools, high-risk workplaces, and communities where COVID-19 rates remain stubbornly high.
“Rapid lateral flow testing is already helping us to find cases that might otherwise have been missed, as around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not show symptoms. That’s why it’s vital people can access testing, even if they don’t feel unwell. It will help protect the people around you, and help us avoid another return to lockdown.
“It may be tempting to think as vaccinations increase and cases drop, that testing will become less important. In fact, this will only make it more important to spot and prevent new outbreaks as cases emerge. We know from our experience of last summer just how quickly one outbreak can lead to another.
“This also applies regardless of whether you have been vaccinated or not. While the latest evidence suggests vaccines provide a high level of protection against the effects of COVID-19, they don’t yet provide a guarantee that you can’t still get the virus or pass it on to others.
“By making home tests so widely available to everyone who needs them, people have more options to get tested and our strong advice is for people to take up this offer to protect people around them, and the progress we’ve made so far.”
Pre-departure testing covers travel to all Scottish islands. The first test should be taken three days before travel to an island and the second on the day of departure.
People with no COVID-19 symptoms can already access Community Testing in a number of NHS Board and Local Authority areas. You can find the site closest to you at gov.scot/communitytesting
Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms (high temperature, new continuous cough, loss of taste or smell) should self-isolate and book a PCR test via nhsinform.scot/testandprotect or by calling 0800 028 2816.
People with symptoms in the NHS Highland, Orkney, Shetland, or the Western Isles board areas can book a test via their health board website. NHS Highland residents can also call 01463 706015 to book a test at their local fire station.
