Wes Streeting

I thank my hon. Friend for his support for the local health system and for engaging so actively with my Department and the UKHSA team in response to this incident. He is absolutely right to press on public advice. It might be helpful to be clear that transmission requires close and prolonged contact, such as someone living in the same household or intimate contact such as kissing or the sharing of vapes or drinks. It is those sorts of things where the risk of spread exists. This disease is not like some of the other respiratory conditions that we have seen recently. It is important that people understand how it is spread, because they may find that reassuring. A range of symptoms can present, including a rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass, the sudden onset of high fever, a severe and worsening headache, stiff neck, vomiting and diarrhoea, joint and muscle pain, dislike of bright lights, very cold hands and feet, seizures, confusion or delirium, and extreme sleepiness or difficulty waking. Those symptoms can also apply to a wide range of other conditions. As ever, if in doubt, the best thing to do is to seek medical advice, whether that is calling 111, or in an emergency dialling 999, or seeing your GP. I urge everyone to share the public health information that is disseminating online, so that we can spread facts rather than misinformation.