So I'm a front line health worker with asthma. No shielding letter and not severe. I've had asthma for 30 years. In the last 6 years my asthma has worsened and I've needed steroids around twice a year for chest infections. Last September I was on them for a month because everytime I stopped them- i couldn't breathe.
I'm currently working non-clinical and doing phone calls to patients from home. Anyone else a front line health worker working from home? I feel insanely guilty about being at home and feel like I cant stay home for ever and this isn't going away anytime soon... maybe I just need to get back and accept the risk? My anxiety is bad because of fear of catching it and guilt of being safe at home. Anyone else experiencing this?
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You should not feel guilty you are doing an important job , also with asthma you need to keep safe. Thankyou for the work you are doing. You are sparkles and unicorns combined
Hello Cerimorris. My friend is a front line health worker too and now working from home along with the rest of the team. She's relieved as she's asthmatic and has a daughter who has a condition which means she has to shield. There's absolutely no room for guilt given the risks of Covid-19.
Guilt is a negative and exhausting emotion and produces nothing, especially reasoned decisions. Hang it on the coat rack and forget it.
You're still part of your team and playing a vital role. Think about all the future years and all the great things you are going to be able to bring to your team.
Right now part of your job is looking after yourself and staying safe. 🤗
I’m a health worker with asthma who works in the community. I have had to fight not to be redeployed to a more ‘ risky’ area, as I returned from self isolation ( husband with Covid 19) to be told I was being moved. I can say I was terrified. I went through guilt, anxiety, not sleeping etc. I’ve just been told, after five weeks, I can stay where I am ( not enough to do in the proposed new area). Please do not feel guilty for being safer. You have worked for many years and given your all. I still do home visits with PPE. If I had been offered working from home I would have accepted it. After seeing my husband cough for nine weeks and only just starting to feel better I am sure you are doing the right thing. Your work is just as valuable as anyone else . X
I’m the same as you, I’m currently working from home and normally on front line. I too understand your feelings of guilt, I’ve had it loads at times but a few people have said that I’m saving a bed in hospital by keeping away so I try to look at it that way. I’m doing telephone calls and project work from home, it helps to know that I’m supporting people who are at home - obviously COVID is not the only illness people have and they still need to get support and much of their treatment has been postponed or curtailed right now and so they are more at risk. So don’t think you’re not doing something important- you are.
I have been working for the hospital for seven years as a HCA and I am currently on the bank. Three of those years I have been contracted prior to deciding to join the bank.
I recently opted work contracted hours in a care home.
My Asthma diagnosis is causing me high levels of anxiety. It is currently under review as trying to find a level of medication which is suitable.
The thing is this is only my third bout of Asthma. The first one was several years ago and the second was winter last year.
My symptoms came back around December last year and continued through to February upon which I visited the doctor and they then put me on a strict regime of asthma control.
Around the 20th March I was told to stay at home as I began to cough uncontrollably (vary scary) and was told to stay at home by 111. I have been home scared ever since!
The doctor has said although I am not shielded I am high risk and so should therefore look at strict social distancing measures.
Around this time all the guidelines around social distancing and key workers working in the care field was very confusing. The care home said I could social distance as they provided PPE. I work with adults who have dementia and I don't think they got the actual severity of it at the time.
Subsequently my doctor had to spell it out to them in a letter. I am now sat at home on sick pay. Struggling to survive and have made several attempts to reach out to them but I am being ignored. I worry about what my work colleagues think about me and are also concerned for their safety as I know that they are short staffed. The hospital on the other hand have been very supportive and Occupational health have guided me as the doctor has done.
I suffer from high levels of anxiety with all of this going on and just wish there was more support for people like us. This is very real.
I worry everyday about how I can return to work and about my colleagues so much.
More advice is needed for how we can manage our condition as front liners,
I totally understand how you feel. I work in the frontline as well and since Mar 23 have been isolating as i developed a new cough. On the 2nd week the sob issues started up to now. I was given doxy and ventolin inhaler on the 2nd wk. Saw no improvement and was then prescribed a brown inhaler. My triggers are anxiety mainly. I would get anxious very easily. I think anyone dealing with breathing issues will agree with me. After a long wait finally had myself tested for covid and result is negative. But still it did not stop me from constantly worrying. It is a vicious cycle. I am now to start with prednisolone tabs short course therapy as i feel the brown inhaler is not helping, or maybe because it’s still too early to say. As per my conversation with my GP she said i don’t belong in the shielding group but definitely in the at risk group that means to observe stricter social distancing. I don’t quite understand how that works. Maybe someone can explain. I have informed my line manager about this and has now been referred to Occu Health. Will see what they say.
Hang in there. Hopefully we will have relief from all this breathing issues.
You have the rest of your life to give in a profession that is already incredibly giving and heroic! You need to take care of your own health and family right now especially since you have a condition that puts you at-risk. I have asthma and am getting over COVID and it was rough. There is no space for guilt, I am sure there is plenty you can do from home and you will do so much good in the many years to come after this subsides! Take good care and stay safe.
(Also editing with a quick PS—has your doctor talked to you about biologics? I was on prednisone 2x a year then it became more frequent and I started xolair which has been a game changer for me, just FYI-)
Thanks! I'm on day 26 and still exhausted but feeling better every day.
It's scary for us asthmatics to get the virus but even when the shortness of breath was really bad for me (days 4-10), it mostly felt like a severe asthma flare (stabbing pains, hot itchy lungs, hard to breathe, lots of yawning and discomfort).
It was much more uncomfortable when the virus attacked my heart as I felt very weak and had bad tachycardia. Non-asthmatics who get a mild or moderate case of COVID have a glimpse into what bad asthma attacks are like for us- (Not including severe cases because of course they are in a totally different category.)
Just sounds so horrible, it must have been pretty scary for you at times as well. As we all know what it can do to people the anxiety when you have it must be really high. I always think it takes a long time for people with asthma to get over simple viruses so this must be next level.
I’m glad to hear you sound to be coming out the other side now. x
Thanks for your kind words! Crazy how exhausted I still am four weeks after my first symptoms but that is apparently normal. My lungs are definitely more sensitive to pollen and dust right now. Yesterday I cleaned the apartment for an hour and then felt miserable the rest of the day More and more research is showing asthma is less of a concern than doctors originally feared so that is good news for us all! Take good care and stay safe.
Some of what has been written here has helped me a bit. Feeling guilty as I am not meant to work as shielding and long term am worried about what my colleagues think especially as they are working long hours as social carers in the community.
But I was preparing to go back to work as the company I work for was not furloughing any staff or paying sick pay as not sick, I started going to the shops and caught some silly bug possibly covid but It felt like my chest was in a vice so no idea really In the middle of all this my respiratory nurse phoned up to tell me my appointment next month cancelled, which I expected. Got angry as I hadn't been shielding,consultant sent a sick note for 12 weeks,work still not even paying ssp so going back out next week and am genuinely scared
The employer seems to do what they want, even as far as saying the shielding letter because of one word advised and not ordered to shield is enough for them not to pay me anything.
And now this with a sick note as far as I am concerned means I am not insured but dont have a choice. Even though the company is saying 1 mask is enough for 1 shift going into multiple houses.
Luckily where I work and live has not been that affected by covid so far
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More and more research is showing asthma is less of a concern than doctors originally feared so that is good news for us all! Take good care and stay safe. 
hope everyone stays safe and well in these very strange times xx
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