News

Club News | 4th Mar 2020

Coronavirus

Scottish Rugby continues to work extremely closely with the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland in monitoring the Coronavirus situation. We are also in regular and constant dialogue with the 6 Nations and our fellow Unions. 

We have and continue to promote NHS Scotland hygiene advice and protocols with our staff, supporters and visitors to all rugby stadiums.

If you have any travel plans or questions, the NHS 111 site has relevant information and links HERE.

Mumps

Mumps is currently circulating in the community at a higher than usual level in Scotland. To help us to attempt to limit the effects of mumps on individuals and the wider SRU community please read the below and act on the recommendations.

Mumps is a viral infection which is not usually a serious illness, but it can take up to ten days or more to feel better. The infection can be easily spread from person to person by direct contact with saliva or droplets of saliva (e.g. via coughs and sneezes) from an infected individual. Most cases are seen in teenagers and young adults.

The signs and symptoms of mumps include fever, headache, swelling of parotid glands on one or both sides of the face (‘like a hamster’)

Occasionally mumps can cause more serious complications.

Anyone with symptoms of mumps should seek advice from their GP and not attend rugby training and/or work until they are recovered and at least five days after the parotid (facial) swelling began.

The best protection against mumps is with the MMR vaccine – two doses are required (usually given at age 12-13 months and the second dose preschool), but for a number of reasons teenagers and young adults may not have received both vaccines as a child. Although mumps can occasionally occur in people who have received two doses of MMR, the disease is much milder. Individuals who have not received two doses of MMR are recommended to contact their general practice to complete the course now. For the majority of general practices this can be done via the Practice Nurse rather than having to make a face to face consultation with your GP.

Note, those born prior to 1970 are likely to have had mumps as a child and therefore further vaccination is not deemed necessary in these people.

For further information about mumps please click HERE.

Dr James Robson MBE, FRCGP, FRCS(Ed), FFSEM(Ire), FFSEM(UK), LLD, MCSP

Chief Medical Officer