Covid-19 FAQ’s

What is Corona Virus?

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an highly infectious disease caused by the newly discovered novel coronavirus.

Is Corona Virus a bacteria or virus?

The new coronavirus is a respiratory virus which spreads primarily through droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose. You may know you have Corona or you may not know. This is why it is so dangerous.

How does it spread?


What is close contact?

Spending more than 15 minutes face-to-face contact within 2 metres of an infected person.

Living in the same house or shared accommodation as an infected person.

What are the common symptoms of COVID-19?

It can take up to 14 days for symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) to appear. They can be similar to the symptoms of a cold and the flu.

  • High temperature or fever above 38 degrees.
  • A Cough: This can be any kind of cough, not just a dry cough
  • Shortness of breath or breathing difficulty
  • Loss or change to your sense of smell or taste: This means that you
  • may have noticed that you cannot smell or taste anything, or things
  • smell or taste different to normal

If you have any of these symptoms, you should behave as if you have the virus and you should self-isolate for 14 days.

This is to assist with contact tracing and to help stop the spread of the virus. You may also need to be tested for Corona Virus. This can be done by contacting your local GP.

Sources: World Health Organisation & HSE Ireland

What is PPE?

PPE means personal protective equipment. PPE is equipment that will protect the user against health or safety risks at work.

It also includes respiratory protective equipment (RPE). Employers have duties concerning the provision and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) at work.

Face Masks

There are three types in general:

The first is a cloth face mask. (Non-medical) Cloth masks or face coverings will not prevent you from breathing in respiratory droplets that carry a virus, like Covid-19.

These are recommended for the public to reduce the burden on stocks of surgical masks. It is now a mandatory requirement to wear a mask in a public area such a shop, retail space, etc.

A surgical mask is a disposable medical device or barrier covering the nose, mouth and chin, used predominantly by healthcare workers in preventing the spread of infection.

These masks offer protection to the wearer by preventing facial contact with large respiratory droplets and splashes

A respirator or filtering face piece (FFP), is also mainly used by healthcare workers to protect the wearer, especially during high risk procedures. These are designed to protect the wearer from inhaling small and large particle droplets by acting as a barrier that limits virus transmission.

General advice