Covid-19 safety information

​Why Covid-19 Precautions Still Matter

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Covid-19 is mostly talked about in the past tense even though it has not gone away. Each infection, even asymptomatic, increases your chance of developing long Covid and/or other serious health repercussions. 

 

Covid still causes death and infections can do serious internal damage even if symptoms seem mild, causing serious illness and disability (6% of infections lead to Long Covid). Covid is not seasonal, it spreads throughout the year. Catching Covid-19 repeatedly isn't good for your immune system. The risk of long-term health problems increases with each reinfection. 

 

For people living with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and long Covid, avoiding reinfection is especially important. Even a “mild” case of Covid can cause symptoms to worsen, bring on a relapse, or create new health challenges that make daily life harder. 

 

Why people with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and long Covid are at higher risk from Covid reinfections:

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• Worsening symptoms: Another Covid infection can trigger a major flare-up or long-term relapse for people living with these conditions. 

• Immune system vulnerability: These conditions often involve immune system dysfunction. A new Covid infection may put additional strain on an already dysregulated system, leading to increased illness severity or complications.

• Risk of long-term disability: Reinfections with Covid have been linked to higher risks of developing new or more severe chronic health issues, including worsening post-viral syndromes. 

• Lasting damage: Each new infection can cause lasting damage.

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How you can protect yourself and others:

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​It is important to note that most of the following measures also help to reduce the spread of other airborne viruses such as flu, RSV, norovirus, and the common cold. Reducing these infections can prevent the onset or worsening of conditions like ME, long Covid, fibromyalgia, POTS, MCAS, and autoimmune illnesses.

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• Masks - Masks are highly effective at filtering out viruses if they are well-fitting and good quality. When in close contact with someone with an airborne illness (e.g. sitting next to them inside for an hour), a mask is the most reliable tool we have to prevent infections. Masks can prevent you from both catching or spreading illness. FFP2 or FFP3 masks (called N95/N99 in the USA) which fit your face well, offer the best protection against airborne viruses. These good quality masks are made of high level filtration material that catch airborne particles in their mesh and also attract them with an electrostatic charge. These masks are still effective when reworn, up to a maximum number of hours (varies per mask). Avoid masks with exhalation valves, which don’t filter exhaled air. The Facemask Store offers further guidance on masks. Wear a mask in indoor spaces, especially crowded places with poor ventilation such as public transport. 

• Note on surgical (blue) and cloth masks - Surgical and cloth masks offer limited filtration as they only block the largest particles or droplets and don’t fit as snugly on the face. They are less effective at preventing airborne illnesses like Covid-19 which are spread via much smaller aerosols and which float in the air like smoke.

• Ventilation - Ventilation means providing fresh air and removing polluted, stale air. It helps to dilute and remove aerosols that carry viruses like Covid-19 and flu through the air, which float and move like smoke. Therefore when meeting people indoors aim to keep indoor areas ventilated with fresh air by opening windows and doors. Opening more than one window or door will help to create air flow and improve ventilation effects. Opening them as wide as possible is best; but even cracking windows/doors open is better than nothing. If it’s impossible to keep them open, such as when it is cold, you can open windows/doors regularly, e.g. for 10 minutes every hour. It is safer to meet people outside due to increased ventilation, however, if you are in a crowded area outside it is still safer to wear a high quality well fitted mask. 

• Testing - Rapid Antigen Tests (also known as Lateral Flow Tests or LFTs) for Covid-19 are not perfect but rarely return false positives; if someone tests positive, they almost certainly have Covid-19. Rapid lateral flow tests are available at Superdrug, Boots and other high-street pharmacies. They can be ordered for less than £2 per test online. Some people can get tests for free from a pharmacy. More sensitive home testing machines, such as the Pluslife minidock, provide much more reliable test results. However, they are at much higher cost compared to rapid tests. It is important to note that you can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms and therefore testing could spot an asymptomatic infection. If you develop symptoms, test daily while they last. It is best to avoid being around others until you test negative, or for at least 10 days from when your symptoms began to prevent passing on the infection to others. 

• Air purification - Air purification uses air filters to remove particles such as allergens and viruses from the air. While purification doesn’t stop all infections, particularly those passed on at close-range, studies show it reduces risk of infection from airborne diseases such as Covid-19. HEPA-grade purifiers filter 99% of infectious particles and should be run continuously. Smart Air offers guidance on choosing an air purifier. Purifiers have filters that should be replaced occasionally for continued effectiveness.

• CO2 monitors - CO2 monitors tell you how ventilated your space is. Humans breathe out carbon dioxide (CO2), so the level of CO2 in a space tells you how much of the air has been breathed out by other people and is a useful proxy measure for the risk of infection with airborne illnesses. As a general rule, a higher level of CO2 means a higher risk. When you let in fresh air, CO2 levels and infection risk will reduce. To maintain safer levels of ventilation, try to keep the CO2 level below 800ppm. This can be done by simply opening doors or windows to the outside when your monitor shows this level. This guide and this video provide more details. Numerous different brands of CO2 monitors are available. Aranet sells a popular model for ~£150. Smart Air has an affordable CO2 monitor at ~£60.

• Vaccination against Covid-19 - You can get vaccines at Boots and other pharmacies if you are not eligible for NHS vaccines. It is important to note that even though Covid-19 vaccinations reduce your risk of a serious illness and long Covid, it doesn’t 100% prevent this, nor Covid transmission.

• Note on hand washing, sanitiser and cleaning - This is not one of the more effective ways to reduce Covid risk. Hand washing with soap and water is an essential part of general infection prevention and control. However, it is not effective at preventing airborne illnesses like Covid-19 because the virus is primarily spread through the air when people breathe out. Airborne transmission means airborne prevention measures like air purification, ventilation and masks are needed to prevent people breathing in the virus.

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No single measure is perfect, so a combination is ideal (the ‘Swiss Cheese’ Model) as when layered together they greatly reduce the chance of the virus slipping through.

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We understand these safety protocols cost money and not everyone can afford what we have listed above. You can request free masks and tests directly from the Sheffield Mask Bloc. If you are putting on an event you can request to borrow for free HEPA filters and a CO2 monitor from Breathe Easy here. 

 

We also want to acknowledge those in our community who are already taking precautions. We see you. Whether you’re masking, ventilating spaces, limiting exposure, or making difficult choices to stay safe, you are not alone. Your efforts are valid, important, and deeply appreciated.

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A massive thank you to Breathe Easy Sheffield for creating and sharing their excellent How-to Guide for Covid-Safer Events, which we used to put together this webpage. This content is shared under a creative commons licence - (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

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As part of our Covid-19 safety information sharing, we worked with Breathe Easy Sheffield and Long Covid Support to host a webinar exploring why Covid-19 remains a risk and how to protect yourself and others. You can watch the recording below.

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