A YORK woman whose husband suffered from coronavirus symptoms has suggested a series of tips to help others prepare their homes in case it happens to them.

The South Bank woman told of her experiences after her husband developed severe symptoms, including a high temperature, breathing difficulties, headache and 'a very painful, raw, sore throat.'

She advised people to plan an isolation bedroom now, where they or the family member could go if they became ill.

She thought sufferers might find it hard to move about and so needed to think about easiest access to a bathroom and where they would get drinks, especially if living alone.

She said families should also get 'tech ready', saying: "Your phone or tablet is going to be invaluable, so have a charger you can connect to from your bed - get an extension lead set up now for this if it helps.

"Communicating with your household members and beyond by phone/social media minimises physical contact and will keep you sane! Download iPlayer or other TV Apps on to your gadget now if you haven’t yet. They will help pass time when you feel up to it."

She also suggested people ensured they had lots of tissues available."We found using plastic bags for my husband to drop them into made it easier to seal it up and dispose of it regularly, rather than emptying a waste basket which would presumably remain infected for some time," she added.

She said paracetamol and cold iced drinks had helped her husband the most, and hot drinks with honey had made the symptoms worse.

She added that her husband, who is in his 50s, had now almost recovered after 14 days of illness. They still couldn't be sure he had developed Covid-19 or had just suffered a 'spectacularly badly-timed bout of flu,' as testing hadn't been available, 'but he certainly ticked most of the symptom boxes and it was more severe than any virus we have experienced before.'

"We were reluctant to call the overstretched 111 line to inquire about testing but it did make us wonder how the national statistics can be at all accurate until comprehensive testing is available."