Sefton residents and businesses are being reminded of the āSimple Thingsā they can do to help reduce the spread of infectious diseases over the winter period so they can keep themselves and others safe.
Simple Things is a brand new campaign that has been developed by the Cheshire and Merseyside Champs Public Health Collaborative.
The āSimple Thingsā campaignās central message is that by carrying out simple actions, like washing hands, sanitising surfaces, covering faces when coughing or sneezing, and staying at home when unwell, will help reduce the spread of infectious diseases.
This will mean less illness over the winter period.
Margaret Jones, Sefton Councilās Director of Public Health said: āSimple Things encourages people to keep on carrying out regular tasks or to adopt small changes to their lifestyle that will help them stay healthy.
āI encourage Sefton residents to follow the āSimple Thingsā campaign advice.ā
Although the infectious disease most talked about has been COVID-19, the campaign and these simple measures also apply to other diseases like flu, common colds and measles.
When developing Simple Things, the Collaborative took an insight-led approach to ensure the campaign was communicating the most appropriate messages in the most relevant way.
The insight found that the target audiences have a high understanding of the mitigating behaviours to minimise the spread of infectious diseases, but they would appreciate constructive reminders delivered in a thoughtful, positive way.
The insight also found that across all age groups, younger people are most concerned about new outbreaks of illnesses such as COVID-19 and flu. 29 per cent of 16 to 34 year olds surveyed said they are āvery concernedā, compared with only 18 per cent of over 65s.
Those from an ethnic minority background were also found to be āvery concernedā about future outbreaks, with around a third (33 per cent) highlighting their feelings. Just 23 per cent of those white British people surveyed felt the same.
Overall, more than two thirds of people living across the region are worried about the spread of infectious diseases this winter.
The study, which was conducted among more than 1,000 people living across the region, also revealed how people were most likely to trust health advice from local clinicians.
Dr Paul Fitzsimmons, Medical Director at Warrington and Halton NHS Foundation Trust, said: āItās surprising that those who are statistically less likely to get seriously ill from COVID-19 and other winter illnesses are most concerned about outbreaks. We know that disruption to education and social lives, plus the negative mental health impacts of lockdown, have clearly left a lasting mark on our younger generations who are now fearful of what could happen again.
āAs we approach winter ā and the annual spike in cases of flu, measles and COVID-19 ā this highlights the need for all of us to take the steps that can help to reduce the spread.
āFor the last two winters, we have all been on high alert for COVID and how we stay safe ā in fact, we have seen a reduction in the number of cases of other respiratory illnesses, largely due to our improved health habits. As such, itās essential that we maintain this level of awareness and continue to practice good hygiene as much as possible.
āWe all know that these small preventative measures can make a big difference ā weāre encouraging everyone to keep doing these simple things to play their part and help reduce the spread of winter illnesses.ā
To learn more about Simple Things, please visit www.simplethings-nhs.com
The bus will be at both locations from 10:30am to 4pm and Sefton residents can come along throughout the day with no appointments needed.
