COVID - One Year On
General News | 3 min read
As we pass the 1-year mark of living with Coronavirus & lockdowns within the UK, we here at HCA One have been reflecting on how things have changed over the course of a year and how things are starting to change as the country starts to open up again. People working in the care sector have had an extremely tough year and we have been amazed at their efforts to look after the people they care for:
- PPE & COVID Testing – for our healthcare agency, it has become the new norm for our carers to be wearing a face mask, glove, aprons etc and to complete a daily lateral flow test before each shift. It is also now mandatory that healthcare staff must have a PCR test done weekly.
- Vaccine – all healthcare assistants & care workers have now had the opportunity to have the COVID vaccination. Whilst it isn’t compulsory at the moment, we have already seen newspaper reports indicating the UK government are considering making it compulsory for all healthcare workers.
- Isolation – as healthcare workers are on the frontline during this pandemic, they may end up having to isolate if they test positive or come in to contact with COVID-19. Key workers may end up having to self-isolate for 10-14 days. Having tested positive for COVID, you cannot then be tested for another 90 days.
- Prevention – to stop the spread of Coronavirus, staff are asked to travel to & from care homes in their own clothing & change when there into uniforms. Staff are also tried to be kept within the same care homes to limit the amount of travel between homes.
As the UK’s vaccination rollout accelerates daily, we know it will be interesting to see how things will look in the UK another year down the line and if these preventative measures will be in place for a long time to come.
