HEALTH officials in Argyll and Bute have shared coronavirus advice to residents as the UK is warned against a 'mass panic' over the condition.

The area's health and social care partnership shared advice from NHS Inform via its social media accounts, advising people in the area what to do if they think they may have contracted the virus.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 437 tests for the virus had been carried out in Scotland, all of them confirmed negative; the Scottish Government is publishing daily updates on the results of its tests online.

The UK's risk level was changed from 'low' to 'moderate' earlier this week, but the country's health authorities are advising people against a mass panic over the spread of the virus.

READ MORE: Catch up with all the latest Helensburgh and Lomond news headlines here

NHS Inform has published the following answers to some of the most frequently asked questions on coronavirus...

Which areas are affected by coronavirus?

We have identified certain areas where people are at risk of getting coronavirus.

Category 1 areas

Iran

Daegu or Cheongdo regions of South Korea

Any of the following towns in the Veneto or Lombardy regions of Northern Italy: Bertonico, Casalpusterlengo, Castelgerundo, Castiglione D'Adda, Codogno, Fombio, Maleo, San Fiorano, Somaglia, Terranova dei Passerini, Vo

Wuhan city and Hubei province, China

Category 2 areas

Cambodia

China

Hong Kong

Northern Italy

Japan

Laos

Macau

Malaysia

Myanmar

South Korea (Republic of Korea)

Singapore

Taiwan

Thailand

Vietnam

Visited or travelled through a category 1 area?

If you have symptoms: Hubei province including Wuhan

If you have any of these symptoms (high temperature, cough, shortness of breath) within 14 days of travel to Hubei province including Wuhan get immediate medical attention by contacting your GP or NHS 24 (phone 111). You should not go to your GP practice in person, but should phone for advice from home.

If you have symptoms: Any other category 1 area

If you have any of these symptoms (high temperature, cough, shortness of breath) and have returned on or after 19 February from any other category 1 area, get immediate medical attention by contacting your GP or NHS 24 (phone 111). You should not go to your GP practice in person, but should phone for advice from home.

If you don't have symptoms

Even if you have no symptoms, please follow this advice if:

you have returned in the last 14 days from Wuhan or Hubei province

you have returned on or after 19 February from any other category 1 area

You should:

stay indoors

avoid contact with others where possible

This means you should remain at home and should not:

go to work, school or public areas

use public transport or taxis

It's okay for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop-off food.

Visited or travelled through a category 2 area?

If you have symptoms: Northern Italy, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos or Myanmar

If you have any of these symptoms (high temperature, cough, shortness of breath) and have returned on or after 19 February from: Northern Italy, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos or Myanmar, get immediate medical attention by contacting your GP or NHS 24 (phone 111). You should not go to your GP practice in person, but should phone for advice from home.

If you have symptoms: Any other category 2 area

If you have any of these symptoms (high temperature, cough, shortness of breath) within 14 days of travel to any other category 2 area, get immediate medical attention by contacting your GP or NHS 24 (phone 111). You should not go to your GP practice in person, but should phone for advice from home.

If you don't have symptoms: Northern Italy, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos or Myanmar

If you have been in a category 2 area and you have no symptoms then you can go about your normal activities. If you become unwell after having returned on or after 19 February from: Northern Italy, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos or Myanmar, please follow the advice for people with symptoms.

If you don't have symptoms: Any other category 2 area

If you have been in a category 2 area and you have no symptoms then you can go about your normal activities. If you become unwell within 14 days of your return from any other category 2 country, please follow the advice for people with symptoms.

Been to the H10 Costa Adeje Palace Hotel in Tenerife?

If you stayed at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace Hotel in Tenerife on or after 17 February and have any of these symptoms (high temperature, cough, shortness of breath) within 14 days of travel, get immediate medical attention by contacting your GP or NHS 24 (phone 111). You should not go to your GP practice in person, but should phone for advice from home.

How is coronavirus spread?

Because it's a new illness, we do not know exactly how coronavirus spreads from person to person, but similar viruses are spread by droplets in coughs and sneezes.

How to avoid catching infections like coronavirus

You can reduce your risk of getting and spreading respiratory infections by:

– avoiding direct hand contact with your eyes, nose and mouth

– maintaining good hand hygiene - washing hands with soap and water or alcohol hand sanitiser:

– after coughing or sneezing

– after going to the toilet

– before eating and drinking

– avoiding direct contact with people that have a respiratory illness and avoiding using their personal items such as their mobile phone

– covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing with disposable tissues and disposing of them in the nearest waste bin after use

Treatment for coronavirus

Currently, there is no vaccine and no specific treatment for the virus.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) helpline

If you do not have symptoms and are looking for general information, a free helpline has been set up on 0800 028 2816.

The helpline is open Monday to Friday from 8am-10pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am-5pm.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

People are also being advised on what the spread of the virus might mean for them in a work and holiday context.

Nicole Rogers, solicitor at DAS Law, has answered some of the most frequently asked questions on what impact coronavirus will have on workers' rights and pay...

If I feel that I should be ‘self-isolating’, can my employer deduct my pay for the time I am away from work?

This will depend on the facts. If you are otherwise fit for work but are taking precautionary steps by ‘self-isolating’, technically you are not entitled to pay. However, it is good practice for employers not to deduct pay in these situations. An employee would usually be ‘self-isolating’ on the advice of a doctor and it is sensible for an employer to show understanding in order to fulfil health and safety obligation and maintain good staff relations.

In addition, to withhold pay could encourage an employee to return to work prematurely which might potentially risk spreading the virus. Many employers can allow temporary flexible working arrangements where employees can work from home.

What are my rights if I’m quarantined and boss refuses to pay my salary?

If you have contracted the virus, normal rules around sick pay will apply and you will either receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) or contractual sick pay. If your employer has specifically told you not to come into the workplace as you have been in or to an affected area, you would ordinarily receive your normal pay.

What is unclear is a situation where an employee remains off work as they have been quarantined or recommended to isolate themselves. In those circumstances, it would not strictly be considered as sick as the reason for the absence isn’t because the employee is unwell and therefore has no entitlement to sick pay.

There may be a contractual clause relating to such circumstances and how this time off should be paid. In the absence of any contractual clause, the position will be that the leave will be unpaid (or the employee can request to use their annual leave entitlement to cover the absence).

Can I be forced to use my annual leave if I am ‘self-isolating’?

You cannot be forced to use annual leave if you are medically unfit for work. However in many other circumstances, your employer can force you to take annual leave if they provide you with adequate notice; twice the amount of the days you are being forced to take. For example, to force you to use 5 days’ holiday, your employer must give you 10 days’ notice.

Again, this may risk good staff relations and given that employers and employees will likely be unfamiliar in dealing with a health crisis of this magnitude, it will be good practice for both parties to mutually agree how leave will be taken.

Will I be paid statutory sick pay while I’m away from work?

Only if you are medically unfit for work and meet the eligibility criteria for Statutory Sick Pay.

Will my pay be affected if I have to stay at home due to my child’s school being closed?

You have the right to reasonable time off to deal with unexpected disruptions relating to the care of your child; this includes incidents relating to your child’s school. You must notify your employer as soon as possible and advise, where practicable, how long the disruption is likely to last. This time off is unpaid but you may request to use this time as paid annual leave.

If I am on a ‘zero hours’ contract will I lose pay for the time I am away from work?

Genuine zero-hour workers have no right to be offered work and no obligation to accept work. Therefore, you will likely have no right to pay. In the event that you have been advised to self-isolate, your employer will be entitled to simply not offer you any work until the isolation period has ended.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Holiday Q&As from Rebecca Kingsley of Travel Insurance Explained:

If you are quarantined on holiday are you covered for any missed excursions you have already booked, and can you claim on your travel insurance for the curtailment of your holiday?

Some travel insurance providers, but not all, will provide you with cover for any pre-booked and paid for missed excursions, up to the limit on the policy you have bought. If you are quarantined on holiday, you generally cannot claim for curtailment as you have not cut your trip short. However, on a small number of policies, a daily benefit might be payable if you are admitted to hospital or confined to your trip accommodation on medical advice. As always we would advise customers to check their policy wordings.

If you have to stay longer in your holiday destination due to quarantine will your travel insurance policy continue to cover you?

You should contact your travel insurance provider and advise them of the situation, some insurers will extend the cover free of charge. However, some may charge an additional premium depending on the length of the extension.

If you have been quarantined on holiday and then quarantined for another 14 days on your return can you claim for loss of earnings on your travel insurance policy?

Unfortunately not. This is known as a consequential loss, and there is no cover for ‘consequential’ loss under a travel insurance policy. Put simply, travel insurance will usually cease to provide cover once you have landed back in your home country.

If you have a holiday booked to a country that has imposed travel restrictions, can you claim for the cancellation of the holiday on your travel insurance policy?

Some policies include cancellation if the FCO advise against ‘all but essential travel’ to the destination, and a few will offer cancellation cover for ‘cancellation due to any cause beyond your reasonable control’, which would cover you if the FCO advice changed. It is important to note that there must be no travel restrictions in place at the time the policy was purchased.

Will I be covered if a pandemic is announced?

Unfortunately cancellation cover doesn’t include cancelling a trip due to the fear of an epidemic or pandemic, as this is classed as disinclination to travel. The only exception to this would be those with underlying health conditions who have a letter from their GP or treating doctor confirming they are advised not to travel to an area due to their condition.