COVID-19 (Coronavirus): Health advice: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/472f64-covid-19-coronavirus-guidance-and-advice/
Until 12 April, everyone should stay at home wherever possible.
Guidance on cocooning
If you're in one of these groups, you must take extra care to reduce interaction with other people. Don't go outside your home and garden.
Learn more about cocooning.
Risks of COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
If you do not have symptoms
But you need to restrict your movements further if you:
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live with someone who has symptoms of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), but you feel well
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are a close contact of a confirmed case of COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
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have returned to Ireland from another country
You need to restrict your movements for at least 14 days. But if the person you live with has had a test and it's negative, you don't need to wait 14 days. You should still follow the advice for everyone - stay at home as much as possible.
Follow this advice to protect yourself and others.
If you have symptoms
The GP will assess you over the phone. If they think you need to be tested for COVID-19 (Coronavirus), they will arrange a test.
If you think you have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
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in contact with someone confirmed as having COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
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to a healthcare facility in another country where COVID-19 (Coronavirus) patients are being treated
You will be put in contact with your local Department of Public Health staff who will give you information and advice.
If you develop symptoms, avoid contact with people by self-isolating and phone your GP or emergency department.
Interpreting Service for Deaf People
Deaf Irish Sign Language users can get information about COVID-19 (Coronavirus) using Irish Remote Interpreting Service (IRIS).
IRIS is available from 9am to 7pm, Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm on Saturday.
To access the service using Irish Sign Language, book an appointment or email hselive@hse.ie
This service is for Deaf Irish Sign Language users only. Information on other services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people is available.
Symptoms
It can take up to 14 days for symptoms of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) to show. They can be similar to the symptoms of cold and flu.
Common symptoms include:
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a cough - this can be any kind of cough, not just dry
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shortness of breath (breathing difficulties)
If you have symptoms, you may be more likely to become dehydrated.
More information on the symptoms and causes of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is available from the HSE.
How Covid-19 spreads
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is spread in sneeze or cough droplets.
You could get the virus if you:
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come into close contact with someone who has the virus and is coughing or sneezing
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touch surfaces that someone who has the virus has coughed or sneezed on and bring your unwashed hands to your face (eyes, nose or mouth)
As it's a new illness, we do not know how easily the virus spreads from person to person or how long the virus stays on surfaces. Spread is most likely from those who have symptoms.
The virus may survive for up to 2 days if someone who has it coughs or sneezes on a surface. Simple household disinfectants can kill the virus on surfaces. Clean the surface first and then use a disinfectant.
Close contact can mean:
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spending more than 15 minutes face-to-face contact within 2 metres of an infected person
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living in the same house or shared accommodation as an infected person
Close contact does not include someone you passed on the street or in a shop. The risk of contact in that instance is very low.
More information on how COVID-19 (Coronavirus) spreads is available from the HSE.
How to protect yourself
Everyone needs to stay at home to help slow the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus).
You should only leave your home to:
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shop for essential food and household goods
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attend medical appointments, collect medicine or other health products
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care for children, older people or other vulnerable people - this excludes social family visits
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exercise briefly by yourself, or with children from your family, and only within 2 kilometers of your home, keeping 2 metres distance from other people
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travel to work if you provide an essential service - be sure to practice physical distancing
Follow this advice to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 (Coronavirus).
Read a step-by-step guide from the HSE on how to clean your hands.
Keeping well
Advice on minding your mental health is available from the HSE.
Why soap is so effective against Covid-19
Testing
If you are in one of the priority groups and your GP thinks that you need to be tested, they will arrange a test for you.
Your appointment will be confirmed by text message. The text will include details on where you should go and when.
More information on testing is available from the HSE.
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for COVID-19 (Coronavirus). However, many of the symptoms of the virus can be treated.
Take any medication you are already taking as usual, unless you are told not to by a healthcare professional.
Most people who catch COVID-19 (Coronavirus) will experience mild symptoms. They should make a full recovery without needing to go to hospital.
If your symptoms get worse and you feel very unwell, you may need to go to hospital.
More information on treatment is available from the HSE.
Advice for parents and children
The Department of Health has developed health advice for parents and children.
Advice for healthcare workers
Detailed information for healthcare workers is available from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
Advice for dental workers
This is to confirm the most up to date advice and information as it currently stands on dental interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) and the Expert Advisory Group (EAG) to the National Public Health Emergency Team have assessed the particular risks for the dental profession and their patients. Their advice remains that with appropriate precautions to manage the risk of exposure to patients with fever or respiratory symptoms and with a high standard of infection prevention and control practice, dental practices can remain open.
There is currently no need to advise against any specific dental interventions.
The exceptions are if a patient reports a fever or symptoms of respiratory illness (for example, cough, shortness of breath) or if a dentist has COVID-19 related concerns about a patient, such as their recent travel history. In such cases essential dental care should be considered only after consultation with the patient’s GP or assigned physician or as advised by a public health official.
If the guidance issued is followed the risk for health care staff and patients is low. This is consistent with the advice given to other healthcare professionals who perform aerosol generating procedures on patients without fever or symptoms of respiratory tract infection.
It is important the public is supported to take care of their oral health at this time to avoid emergency care in the future.
It is important to note the following additional advice and information.
The Expert Advisory Group advise that dentists may consider the urgency and expected benefit to the patient of a procedure in their risk management decision.
The HPSC has published guidance on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to support Infection Prevention and Control Practice when performing aerosol generating procedures on confirmed or clinically suspected COVID-19 cases in a pandemic situation.
The Chief Dental Officer has issued advice and a Q&A document for dental professionals in relation to COVID-19.
Information booklet
This guide offers information about Ireland and COVID-19 including how the government is responding, the symptoms of COVID-19 and how you should self-isolate.
Public health advice posters
The Department of Health has developed public health advice posters that are available for you to download and display on your premises.
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Posters for Public Use.
Social distancing graphics
The Department of Health has developed physical distancing graphics to help you measure and maintain distance in your premises.