Coronavirus Glossary
Key terms explained
Please see below key terms related to coronavirus, listed A-Z.
Antibody test
This is a test to see if you've had the COVID-19 virus at some point in the past. It means that if you have had it, you could be immune from it (not able to catch it again) and not able pass it on to others. However, it is not yet known how long this immunity may last and could differ from person to person.
Antigen test
This is a test to see if you have the COVID-19 virus. The results will come back either positive or negative and will let people know if they have the virus or not. A type of antigen test is the PCR procedure (or polymerase chain reaction), which you might hear referred to in the news.
Asymptomatic
Someone who has a disease but does not have any of the symptoms it causes. Some studies suggest some people with coronavirus carry the disease but don't show the common symptoms, such as a persistent cough or high temperature.
Clinically extremely vulnerable
Clinically extremely vulnerable people will have received a letter telling them they are in this group or will have been told by their GP. Guidance on who is in this group can be found here.
Clinically vulnerable people
Clinically vulnerable people include those aged 70 or over and those with some underlying health conditions, all members of this group are listed in the ‘clinically vulnerable’ section here.
Cocooning
Schemes may be classed as cocooned to protect staff and operatives when compliance visits or emergency repairs need to be carried out. Cocoon can apply to schemes for the following reasons:
- A number of self-isolators are showing symptoms
- Customers have recently been diagnosed with COVID 19
- Customers have recently died due to COVID 19
- A significant number of staff at the scheme are self-isolating with symptoms or have been diagnosed with COVID19
- Flats within the scheme are being used on a temporary basis for ‘step down’ customers from hospital
- Visitors need to be restricted due to behaviour of a customer which may present a risk
- Visitors need to be restricted due to the age and vulnerability of the customer group
Common Areas
The term ‘common area’ refers to areas and amenities which are provided for the common use of more than one person including: canteens, reception areas, meeting rooms, areas of worship, toilets, gardens, fire escapes, kitchens, fitness facilities, store rooms, laundry facilities.
Contact tracing
Contact tracing is about how many people you might have come into contact with. If you develop COVID-19, then the people you have been around should isolate for 14 days, as they may have potentially caught the virus from you. This helps protect other people that you've been in contact with from spreading the virus to other people.
Coronavirus/Covid-19
The disease caused by the coronavirus first detected in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. It primarily affects the lungs.
Coronavirus Act (formerly Coronavirus Bill)
The Coronavirus Act is a law that came into effect on 25 March 2020. Its purpose is to give the UK Government emergency powers to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. It includes powers to:
- recruit NHS staff and social workers more quickly
- relax certain regulations to ease the burden on key workers such as NHS staff
- stop public gatherings in line with the measures introduced on 23 March
- force businesses such as shops and restaurants to close
The Act is a temporary, emergency law put in place for up to two years but may be extended if required. you can find out more about the Act here.
Essential/key workers
'Essential' or 'key' workers include police, health and social staff, and people who work in shops selling food and other important products. A full list of jobs which are considered essential is available here.
With schools closing, the Government has advised that children and young people should stay home wherever possible to lower the spread of the coronavirus. Schools will remain open only for those that absolutely can't stay at home. This includes children of 'essential' or 'key' workers, these are parents or carers that have a critical part to play in the COVID-19 response.
Face-covering
Face coverings are not surgical or other regulatory standard RPE but are a facial covering of the mouth and nose, that is made of cloth or other textiles and through which you can breathe. The government have issued guidance on how to wear face coverings and also make them at home.
Flatten the curve
Health experts use a line on a chart to show numbers of new coronavirus cases. If a lot of people get the virus in a short period of time, the line might rise sharply and look a bit like a mountain. However, taking measures to reduce infections can spread cases out over a longer period and means the "curve" is flatter. This makes it easier for health systems to cope.
Furlough
This UK Government Scheme provides financial support to firms hit by coronavirus by temporarily helping pay the wages of some staff, who are furloughed when there is no work for them to do and no or less income coming into their employer’s business. It allows employees to remain on the payroll, even though they aren't working.
If your job is affected by COVID-19 and, as a result, your employer can't cover your wages, they can apply for a Government grant for 80% (up to a cap of £2,500 a month) of your pay through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. This would mean that you become 'furloughed'. While you are furloughed, you stay on your employer's payroll but don't work for any agreed period (a minimum of 3 weeks). Your employer can choose to pay you the remaining 20% of your wage but doesn't have to. The Government intends for the scheme to last until October 2020, but the current arrangements for payment may be changed after July 2020. More information is available on the gov.uk website.
Household
A household is everyone who stays in the same living area. For example, all the people living in one house or flat would be considered as part of the same household. People in your household might be your flatmates, friends or family members. There are some important rules to follow if someone in your household develops coronavirus symptoms or if they are a vulnerable person. You can read these here. Currently, we are being asked to exercise either alone or with members of your household. When you do go outside, you must stay at least two metres away from anyone else that isn’t from your household. This includes friends and family members who you do not currently live with.
Lockdown
Restrictions on movement or daily life, where public buildings are closed and people told to stay at home. Lockdowns have been imposed in several countries as part of drastic efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus.
Pandemic
An epidemic of serious disease spreading rapidly in many countries simultaneously.
Pandemic Preparedness Plan
A documented plan for how an organisation plans to provide essential services when there is a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease.
Pandemic Preparedness Team
Colleagues from across the organisation, working together to keep employees and customers safe.
PPE
PPE, or Personal Protective Equipment, is clothing and kit such as masks, aprons, gloves and goggles used by medical staff, care workers and others to protect themselves against infection from coronavirus patients and other people who might be carrying the disease.
R0 (pronounced R nought)
The average number of people a sick person will infect. And the word “average” here is key because, depending on how many people are being tested and how many cases are identified, the R0 will change.
Reagent
A reagent is any chemical needed to conduct an experiment. Like an ingredient in a recipe. There has been a lot of talk about reagents in the press lately as it is one of the “ingredients” needed to make the COVID-19 tests.
Risk Assessment
A systematic process to identify sensible measures to control risks in the workplace. Normally there are measure in place to protect employees, but a risk assessment will help you decide whether you have covered all you need to.
RPE Facemask - FFP3 - FFP2
Respiratory Personal Protection (RPE) is a particular type of personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to protect the wearer from breathing in harmful substances when other controls are either not possible or insufficient on their own. Filtering facepieces (FF) is the efficiency requirement for the assigned protection factors
SAGE
You might have heard SAGE being mentioned in the daily briefings from the UK Government. They are talking about the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. It is made up of different scientific and academic experts, and the people who are a part of this group will change depending on what the Government needs advice on. SAGE is currently looking at the most up-to-date data they have about the coronavirus (CVOID-19) outbreak (for example, how many people have it, and ow many people are in hospital) to try and figure out what we need to do to protect the public and stop the spread of the virus. SAGE will also request research in areas they need more information on - right now they have asked for research to be done on whether the public should be wearing masks when going to the shops/going outside. They will gather all this information and use it to advise the Government on what to do.
Self-isolation
Staying inside and avoiding all contact with other people, with the aim of preventing the spread of a disease.
Serology test
Blood tests that look for the presence of antibodies that indicate if someone has already been exposed to a disease. These tests will not work early in an infection, it takes some time for our bodies to start producing the antibodies against the virus.
Shielding
Protecting people who are extremely vulnerable from coming into contact with coronavirus by minimising all interaction between them and other people.
Social distancing
Keeping away from other people, with the aim of slowing down transmission of a disease. The government advises not seeing friends or relatives other than those you live with, working from home where possible and avoiding public transport.
Support bubble
Support bubbles allow people living alone, or lone parents living with children under 18, to go and visit one other household indoors and even stay the night if they would like to. They don’t apply to people who are shielding. If anyone within the bubble starts to show symptoms of coronavirus, everyone in the bubble must self-isolate for 14 days.
Surgical Masks
A disposable mask used by healthcare professionals and worn over the nose and mouth to protect the mucous membranes of the wearer’s nose and mouth from splashes and infectious droplets. When recommended for infection control purposes a ‘surgical face mask’ typically denotes a fluid-resistant (Type IIR) surgical mask.
Virus
A tiny agent that copies itself inside the living cells of any organism. Viruses can cause these cells to die and interrupt the body's normal chemical processes, causing disease.