Was on top medium dose of ICS Seretide for years (till recently started tapering off due to adrenal insufficiency). 500 Fluticasone (equivalent 1000 Fostair beclamethasone ) per day
Is that MART?
Should I have been in a Covid group eg 6?
Also have adrenal insufficiency and hypothyroid
Feel like I was forgotten about for the Covid groups (?)
MART is using Fostair 100mcg as a preventer & a reliever. I was on it a few years ago, so instead of using ventolin as your reliever, you use Fostair instead
I’m on Seretide rather than Fostair but I suppose the principle is the same.
I don’t use Seretide as a reliever so not MART then (?)
Fostair 100 is a really low dose so I suppose that is why it can be used that way, my inhaler was equivalent to 250 beclamethasone per puff
If you Google “covid groups” you should find a list of those conditions for group 6. To be honest though the groups are now finished with so not sure that would be of any benefit to you.?
Was actually going to say the same irrelevant now maybe as no groups...
Yes but where’s the description of asthma?
I was offered Biologics and have been on Seretide for years.
I just want to know whether I should have been group 6 or not because I was sacked due to wanting to be careful about my exposure to Covid
If you go into search bar at the top there is lots of info, etc on asthma, MART regime, and covid groups. Not all asthmatics were in priority groups you had to meet the specific criteria. But these groups were 2 years ago so was based on then not now. These groups don't exist now really. Maybe contact your union re unfair dismissal or seek CAB support. Also speak with your consultant or respiratory nurse if need clarification on your sub type of asthma and treatment as they know your history.
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I contacted my union and they do believe it was unfair dismissal.
The trouble was that the NHS only have a few years of medical records for me and I only saw a consultant for the first time 3 weeks ago. I don’t know my subtype of asthma, presumably allergic, and am waiting to hear more about which Biologic.
If I’d been in a priority group I’d have been entitled to be more cautious about Covid. I just knew I had to be cautious despite not being selected by the NHS , and I still believe that.
Had you been given Prednisolone? If you'd been given Prednisolone 4 times in a 6 month (I think) period you should have qualified for the vulnerable list. Your employer sounds like a, well, somewhat like mine. Last week someone who was Covid positive was told if he stayed off work then it would be held against him. He was told things had changed and a notice had been posted. It hadn't and he came to work. He's off now but he still did a shift while positive.
Yes, they sound similar don’t they.
We did voluntary shielding in the pandemic so I didn’t catch colds then get lung infections, so no prednisolone since early 2020.
I don’t only have asthma, but asthma is why I felt worried. I’m also hypoadrenal and hypothyroid. Plus my pituitary isn’t quite right.
I’m sorry to hear your stupid employer couldn’t care less about people either. Hope you don’t catch it.
I wasn’t in a priority group so was sacked. Only people in groups 4 or 6 were allowed to be careful not me.
This link explains the various priority groupings with a link to further information. gov.uk/government/publicati...
As someone else has suggested, talk to your union or ACAS if you're thinking of taking your case to tribunal.
Just received a really kind email from my doctor saying when I go on Biologics I will get a priority PCR then if I got Covid I’d get antivirals
I feel so relieved.
Hi koala
I’m sorry to be a bit negative but please don’t assume that you will automatically qualify for antivirals if you receive a priority PCR.
There are several people who have posted on this forum who have not been given access to them despite having severe asthma. It would appear that the criteria for qualifying is a bit of a postcode lottery… like a lot of asthma treatment.
Apologies for the negative spin but don’t want you to get your hopes up…
Hope all goes ok..
😊
Pipsqueak77
Thanks for the warning, that's kind of you.
It must indeed be horrible to catch it, send off your priority PCR then be turned down for treatment. That is completely unfair, it's misleading people isn't it.
Do you know, by any chance, if those people were on Biologics? That was the reason my GP said I'd get antivirals. Connected to immunosuppression.
I know 2 people who have those PCRs and they both trust the NHS they'd get antiviral or antibody treatment. One has autoimmune liver, the other has COPD and other stuff.
I'd rather not receive the PCR than find out once unwell that I don't qualify!!!!!
Not having even been in a priority group at all, I can't imagine anything actually.
Hi Koala
I am not sure if the people posting were on biologics but if you have a bit of a scroll through recent posts you will see some of their experiences.
I am on a biologic and have the home PCR which luckily I have not had to use yet🤞
However I don’t really expect that I would get antiviral treatment even if i was covid positive.
This is because biologics alone don’t appear to cause immunosuppression of the wider immune system and I don’t have any other comorbidities to put me in the immunosuppressed group.
You are much more likely however to be immunosuppressed ( as an asthmatic) from using high dose, long term pred.
It is this criteria within the severe asthmatic population that they use for deciding on who does/ doesn’t get antiviral treatment, not their use or not of a biologic.
Obviously, if you have other comorbidities then that will also be a consideration.
I hope this all makes sense !?
Good Luck
😊👍
If you look at previous posts it has been explained in some detail over the past couple of years, why people with asthma were originally included in groups of concern but it was very quickly realised that people with asthma on its own were at little or no greater risk from Covid than people without asthma. It may be that your personal circumstances put you at greater risk but that was the general opinion. I don’t know what your job was but I feel sad for you that your employer lacked understanding and empathy with your situation. Many many jobs had staff working from home as much as possible but again I don’t know how viable that was for you.
Thanks for your reply. Yes I have other medical conditions, but anyway it’s done now. I was just wondering about other people’s experience of that time regarding the priority groups.
I was wfh and it was ideal. Everyone not in 4 or 6 had to return though, when the mitigations ended. I said I couldn’t.
Soon enough I’ll get my priority PCR and backup of antiviral if I do get Covid. That’s good.
Thanks for your replies all.
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