What's the difference between shielding, self-isolation and social distancing?
Shielding, self-isolation and social distancing are very important in order to protect yourselves and others from coronavirus. What are they, and which should you be doing?
In brief:
- Everyone in the UK should be staying at home, in line with the government’s announcement on 23 March. Some people are calling this “lockdown”. It means staying at home and only going out to get essential supplies like food and medicine and once a day for exercise. You can also go out for medical needs and for work if it absolutely cannot be done for home. When you are out, stay at least two metres away from people that you don’t live with.
- Self-isolation is the most effective way of preventing coronavirus spreading. Government advice is to self-isolate if you have any coronavirus symptoms, might have been exposed to it, or live with someone with symptoms.
- Shielding is similar to self-isolating, but for longer, and is for people who are deemed extremely vulnerable due to a specific health condition.
- For many of us, staying at home and minimising contact with our friends and family will be very difficult. It's important that even though you need to be physically apart, you stay connected with friends and family over the phone or on social media. You can get support for your wellbeing from the Every Mind Matters website.
Staying at home
Who needs to stay at home?
Everyone in the UK.
How long will we have to stay at home?
Initially for three weeks from 23 March, at which point the Government will look at it again and relax the rules if the evidence shows this is possible.
What can I do in “lockdown”?
- You can go out for food supplies
- You can go out for exercise once a day (such as walking, running or cycling)
- You can go out for work where this absolutely cannot be done from home
- You can also go out for medical reasons, including caring for someone
- When you go out, stay two metres away from people you don’t live with
- You should wash your hands as soon as you get home
- See the full government guidance on staying at home and away from others
Shielding
Shielding is a measure to protect those who are at very high risk of severe illness from coronavirus (Covid-19) from coming into contact with the virus.
Who needs to do shielding?
Extremely vulnerable people need to do shielding to protect themselves. The people with heart conditions who fall into this category are:
- people who have had a heart transplant.
- people who are pregnant and have significant heart disease (of any type including congenital)
See the government's list of who falls into this category. People with any other heart conditions are advised to carefully follow the government's stay at home advice, which applies to all of us.
How long should I do shielding?
Those most at risk should receive a letter or text from the NHS to strongly advise them not to go out for 12 weeks from the day you receive the recommendation. You will be contacted again if there are any updates to the advice.
If you think you or a loved one are in this highest risk category and have not received a letter from the NHS by Sunday 29 March or been contacted by your GP, get in touch with your GP or hospital doctor by phone or online.
How do I do shielding?
Stay in your home, do not go out for shopping, leisure, or travel, or go out for a walk in public places. If you have a garden, you can go out into your garden.
When you’re having food or medicine delivered, these should be left at your door in order to minimise your contact.
Don't have any visitors, except people who give you essential healthcare and personal support. These people should wash their hands when they come into your home or use hand sanitiser. Carers and care workers should stay away if they have any of the symptoms of coronavirus.
Use the telephone or online services to contact your GP or other essential services.
Keep in touch with people, call them, email them or use social media to contact them.
Wash your hands more often, including after you blow your nose, sneeze or cough and after you eat or handle food.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces in the home.
The people you live with need to take the appropriate steps to help shield you too. If you live with other people:
- Minimise the time that you spend in shared spaces, like kitchens, bathrooms and sitting rooms, and keep those spaces well ventilated.
- Keep two metres away from people you live with and ask them to sleep if a different bed to you, if they can.
- If you can, use a separate bathroom from the people you live with, and use separate towels in the bathroom for your shower, bath, or drying your hands.
- If you do share a toilet and bathroom with others, make sure they are cleaned after every use (for example, wiping surfaces you have come into contact with). Try to shower/bathe first.
- In the kitchen, avoid eating while others are in there, and take your meals back to your room if you can. Use a dishwasher if you can, and if not then wash them as usual but use a separate towel for drying them.
Self-isolation
Self-isolation means staying at home. It is similar to shielding, but is for a shorter time and the main focus is on not spreading the virus. Self-isolation is the most effective way of preventing the coronavirus from spreading.
Who should be doing it?
Self-isolation is strongly advised for anyone who has the symptoms of coronavirus or who might have been exposed to it, or who lives with someone who has symptoms of coronavirus.
How long should I self-isolate?
If you live alone and you have symptoms of COVID-19, however mild, stay at home for 7 days from when your symptoms started.
If you live with others and you’re the first to have symptoms, then you must stay home for 7 days. But all other household members must stay in the house for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day the first person in the house became ill.
How do I self-isolate?
The measures for self-isolation are:
- Stay at home and do not go out. Don’t go to work, school, or use public transportation or taxis.
- Stay at least three steps away (two metres or six feet) from other people in your home. Be particularly careful around those who are over 70, are pregnant, or who have a long-term underlying health condition.
- Avoid having any visitors in your home. Ask them to leave any deliveries at your door.
- Don’t go out to buy food or collect medicine, if possible. Order them by phone or online, or ask someone else to drop them off at your home.
- Stay at least three steps away (two metres away or six feet) from other people outside if you need to leave your home to exercise.
- Sleep alone if you can.
- Make sure you and any household members are washing your hands regularly and taking extra care of your hygiene.
See our tips on how to self-isolate healthily.
For more information on self-isolation, see the advice from Public Health England.
Social distancing
Social distancing is about limiting face-to-face interactions with people. This helps to slow the spread of Covid-19 and to help protect yourself from catching it.
Who should be doing it?
Everyone should be practising social distancing right now, and these principles are reinforced by the current "stay at home" instructions from the Government. Social distancing is doubly important if you are at high risk or particularly high risk. See the groups that are at high risk or particularly high risk.
How do I do it?
The measures for social distancing are:
- Avoid contact with someone who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus (Covid-19). These symptoms include high temperature and/or new and continuous cough.
- Avoid non-essential use of public transport. Vary your travel times to avoid rush hour, when possible. You must also follow the government instructions about staying at home apart from the specified exceptions (see above)
- Work from home if at all possible. The government says your employer should support you to do this.
- Use online or telephone services to contact your GP or other essential services.
- You should also make sure that you and any essential visitors (like carers) wash your hands regularly, including after you've been out.
- You can go outside for a walk, but make sure that you stay more than 2 metres from other people.
More information
If you have symptoms of coronavirus (a high temperature or a new, continuous cough), but you’re not sure if you need to stay home, use the NHS 111 coronavirus service to find out what to do. Only call 111 if you cannot get help online. Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.
Read more about coronavirus and what it means if you have a heart or circulatory disease.
The NHS and UK Government also have lots of information and advice about coronavirus.