A series of practical resources to enable leaders and professionals with direct reach to communities and an established, trusted relationship, for example community leaders, social prescribing link workers and faith leaders, to support their communities to reduce their risk of becoming seriously ill from Covid-19

1. Date: Thursday 17th September 2020, 12:30 – 13:00
Part of the BHealthy webinar series
Keeping Covid Safe:
Testing
Speakers: Joanna Peasland
Nurse Consultant/ Deputy Director of Infection
Prevention and Control
Rachel Chapman,
Public Health Speciality Registrar

2. Agenda
12:30 – 12:35
Welcome, introductions and housekeeping -
(5 mins)
Stacey Gunther - Public Health, Birmingham City Council
12:35 – 12:55
Speaker -
(15-20 mins):
Joanna Peasland - Prevention and Control,
Birmingham Community Health Care NHS trust.
Rachel Chapman - Public Health, Birmingham City Council
12:55 – 13:00
Q&A and Discussion –
(5 mins)

3. HOUSEKEEPING
Please stay muted and turn your cameras off during this webinar.
Please use the chat function to ask questions for the Q&A or you can email
your questions to healthybrum@birmingham.gov.uk
To make this webinar available to those that are unable to join us, today’s
webinar will be recorded. The recording, with both audio and visual will be
shared next week via email and online platforms.

4. BHealthy
A series of practical resources
to enable leaders and
professionals with direct
reach to communities and
an established, trusted
relationship, for example
community leaders, social
prescribing link workers and
faith leaders, to support their
communities to reduce their
risk of becoming seriously ill
from Covid-19
Webinar bookings via
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50238/wellbeing_during_the_coronavirus_covid-19/2247/bhealthy

5. Coronavirus symptoms
• A high temperature
• A new continuous cough
• A loss of change to your sense of
smell or taste
If you have any coronavirus symptoms
you must isolate immediately for 10
days (don’t wait for a test or a test
result before doing so)

6. When to get a test:
• If you have covid
symptoms, you must
get a test
• If you don’t have
symptoms, don’t get a
test
We all need to play our part to
protect the NHS Test and Trace
service for those who really need it.
We may ask you to get a test if we
think you might be linked to an
outbreak

7. How to get a test
Go to https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or call 119
1. Postal kit
If your ordering a home testing kit, you
need to do so in the first 4
days otherwise it won't be accurate
The test needs to be complete by 3pm
on day 4 of symptoms
2. Test Centre
If you can't book a test straight away
please keep trying, do not call the
helplines, they do not have extra test
slots

8. When NOT to
get a test
You may be advised
to isolate if you have
been in contact with
a confirmed case,
but you should only
get a test if you have
symptoms.
If you have returned from
abroad or are about to travel
You are returning to the
workplace
You have been in contact
with a confirmed case
If another member of your
household has symptoms

9. Asked to isolate by NHS Test and
Trace?

10. Testing guidance for schools and
employers
Schools: please follow the official guidance on testing.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-phe-and-nhs-test-and-trace-to-school-and-college-leaders
It is very important that this guidance is followed. Schools should not
advise pupils or teachers to take a test unless they exhibit one or more of
the listed symptoms.
If there is a confirmed case, then schools should not advise entire classes
or year groups to get tested. Only those with symptoms or those advised by
their clinician or Local Authority should get a test. Schools must not require
students without symptoms to provide evidence of a negative test before
letting them back to school.
Employers: you should not be asking members of staff to get tested before
they come into the workplace. You can also help by communicating the
guidance around testing to your staff.

11. Drop and collect
• The teams will be visiting
households in different areas of the
city to offer the test kits on the
doorstep, even for those without
symptoms, to support more testing
• Residents will then need to carry out
a self-test
• Testing is completely free and once
dropped off, a volunteer will come
back and pick up the completed kit
within the next hour
Due to a recent rise in the number of cases in the city and Birmingham being placed
on the national watchlist, the Council is actively testing local households to prevent the
spread of the virus.

12. Joanna Peasland
Nurse Consultant -Infection
Prevention and Control BCHC
What to expect
when you have a
test

13. What happens
• The trained staff will tell you what they are going to do and
give you the chance to ask questions.
• They will need to confirm your personal details with you
• They will then take swabs from your throat and nose
• It won’t hurt but may be a bit uncomfortable.
• To keep you and them safe they will be wearing an apron,
fluid shield, mask and gloves.

14. The Throat swab
• They will ask you to sit upright and tilt your head back.
• You need to open your mouth and stick out your
tongue. They may have a torch to see into your mouth.
• They may need to press down on your tongue so they
can see.
• They will ask you to say “Ahhhhh”
they will gently rub a swab at the back of
your throat and at the very back of
your mouth on both sides.

15. Swabbing your nose
• If you have a runny nose, you will be asked to blow and clean your
nose with a tissue before the swab is taken.
• You will need to sit up straight and lean your head back.
• The nurse or doctor will put the swab into your nose.
• The swab will bend to the shape of your nose and the doctor or nurse
will push it gently to where it needs to be.
• The swab is then rotated inside the nose to take to sample
• The swab will then be removed put in a tube and sent off with the
throat swab to the laboratory for testing.

16. Participants Discussion – How can
you support communities with testing?

17. To stop the spread of the virus remember

18. Resources that are on social media for you to share

19. PAGE 19

20. KEEPING IN TOUCH
BHealthy handouts can be found on our website
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50238/wellbeing_during_the_coronavirus_covid-19/2247/bhealthy
The full list of BHealthy webinars
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50238/wellbeing_during_the_coronavirus_covid-19/2247/bhealthy/2
For support with BHealthy or general enquires email
healthybrum@birmingham.gov.uk
or for Covid enquires email
BCCCovid19@birmingham.gov.uk