HOW TO REDUCE RISK OF CATCHING CORONA INFECTION. The most important thing to do is to follow the goverment guidelines. Wash your hands regularly with soap. Use a tissue when you or anyone in your family coughs or sneezes, discard it and wash your hands. Avoid contact with someone who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus (these symptoms include high temperature and/or new and continuous cough) Avoid non-essential use of public transport when possible. Work from home, when possible. Avoid large and small gatherings in public spaces, noting that pubs, restaurants, leisure centres and similar venues are currently shut as infections spread easily in closed spaces where people gather together Avoid gatherings with friends and family; keep in touch using remote technology such as phone, internet and social media Use telephone or online services to contact your GP or other essential services ANTENATAL AND POSTNATAL VISITS Your antenatal and postnatal appointments remain an important part of your maternity care to provide checks and screening on your health and your baby’s health. Your doctor may reduce routine appointments, or deliver some care and support over the phone or by video to reduce the number of times you need to travel and attend hospital/clinics. Where possible, essential scans/tests and routine antenatal care will be offered within a single appointment. This is to prevent multiple journeys and visits to clinics/hospital, and will involve contact with as few staff as possible to prevent the spread of coronavirus to you, your family and other patients. TESTING PREGNANT WOMEN FOR CORONA VIRUS To minimise the spread of coronavirus in hospitals, the offer of testing is being expanded to include all patients admitted to hospital, regardless of whether they have coronavirus symptoms or not. This includes offering tests to all women who come to the hospital in labour for deliver. When a delivery is by a planned Cesarean section the test is done at least 24 hours prior. Pregnant women are tested in the same way as anyone else. Currently, the test involves swabs being taken from your mouth and nose. You may also be asked to cough up sputum, which is a mixture of saliva and mucus. The most effective tests currently take 24–48 hours for the result to be available. This means that if you are awaiting test results whilst in hospital you may be treated as potentially infectious until the result is returned.