Confusion over when people should visit a GP or get tested for Covid as coughs spread across Gloucesershire

There is confusion over whether residents should be testing for Covid-19 or when they should visit a GP as coughs and colds spreading across Gloucestershire.

Health bosses were quizzed over the issue at a recent Gloucestershire County Council meeting.

Councillor Paul Hodgkinson (LD, Bourton-on-the-Water and Northleach) says there is a lot of illness out there at the moment as the temperatures have dropped.

But he says residents are confused over what they should be doing and whether they should test for coronavirus.

He says there are also conflicting messages over when people should visit a GP and confusion over who should get flu and Covid jabs this year.

“There is a lot of illness out there at the moment as the season has abruptly changed to cold weather. Some have Covid, some have nasty colds.

“Residents have told me that they are confused as to whether they should be testing for covid and also when they should consult a GP.

“I know there are NHS messages about whether to see a GP if you have a persistent cough but it would be good to have information about testing for Covid and when is best to see a GP.

“I know that doctor’s surgeries are very stretched so a clear messaging programme would benefit everyone.

“There is also speculation in the national media about whether younger people will get covid and flu jabs this year. Locally at the health scrutiny meeting last week I asked that question but was told that there was no plan to lower the current age of 65.”

Cllr Hodgkinson asked for some guidance at the health overview and scrutiny committee on October 10.

He asked if health bosses were expecting Covid cases to peak this autumn and what the message is for residents.

“There’s a sort of mixed view with people saying they will be OK this time while seeing headlines in the papers of Covid rates rising.”

Public health director Siobhan Farmer said it is very difficult to say as Covid has not settled into a normal seasonal pattern and flu is distorted due to the lockdowns.

She said they keep a close eye on the Southern Hemisphere for flu and it was not “overly remarkable this year”.

“It helps us understand that it’s not going to be a quiet flu season. Covid is very difficult to predict. We know there is a small wave at the movement but it is significantly lower to the wave we saw this time last year.

“Although there are more people being admitted to hospital with Covid, it’s with it as opposed to because of Covid.

“Regionally and nationally the intensive care beds remain very low as a result of Covid infection.”

She said there is an advantage that the spread is happening earlier in the season as younger people will have that boost of immunity going into winter which would lead to less transmission in the winter.

Ms Farmer also said the Covid vaccination was brought forward as immunity was waning in the older population.

“Get the jabs into arms right now. Boost that immunity just in case we get a more sever season and it’s kept under review nationally.

Councillor David Drew (L, Stroud Central) asked about the availability of testing and said most people have run out of tests.

He asked if tests would be provided to hard to reach groups.

“There might be more Covid out there that we don’t know about because people aren’t testing.”

Ms Farmer said the national policy is that they do not recommend testing at all at the moment.

“The reason is there are many other respiratory bugs out there and if they tested for Covid it would be treated differently than other which could be potentially as harmful.

“We can’t test for flu but it could cause the same challenges for people and we’ve got to balance the business continuity needs of the country versus the sickness and illness.

“If the vast majority of people getting Covid are healthy then the national guidance says there’s no need to test.”

The NHS recommends people should see their GP if they’ve had a persistent cough for more than three weeks, the cough is very bad or quickly gets worse.

People who have a cough should also visit their GP if they feel very unwell, have chest pain, are losing wight for no reason, the side of their neck feels swollen and painful, they find it hard to breathe or have a weakend immune system.

People who are coughing up blood should see their GP urgently.