Coronavirus

[ameliapond]

Is secondary lymphoedema an underlying health condition for coronavirus? Thank you

[Lynora]

Not sure it’s a named underlying health condition - there is a list on the NHS website, for those conditions which are being specified for special measures.

We are all ‘at risk’ as it is a new virus, which is why we are being asked to isolate ourselves.

[Angelil]

I was wondering this too. My work classed anyone who is invited to have the flu jab as part of the vulnerable group (which I do). However, I think the 12 weeks shielding refers to the most vulnerable out of this group, not everyone who receives the flu jab. Either way if you are required to shield for 12 weeks you should be contacted by your doctor by letter or text (I haven’t).

Hope this helps! Stay safe 👍🏻

[Quartz22]

I don’t think Lymohoedema necessarily makes you more prone to getting the virus BUT I do think that because our lymphatic systems have been damaged and this is basically our immune system then the affects of the virus will be more difficult to manage .

Personally I am absolutely furious that we will probably not be receiving a letter from the NHS to say we are at extra risk because Lymohoedema is not recognised as the chronic long term medical condition it is . I’ve had secondary Lymohoedema for twenty five years and yet we are STILL no further forward to having a proper care plan for its management and acceptance . It’s probably the only long term condition such as asthma , diabetes etc that is not recognised . This virus outbreak has just proved how imperative it is that this happens and I hope the LSN will now concentrate all its efforts on producing a large campaign to get this done . We have suffered enough with this abandonment . I am sick of fighting to be recognised . I know if I get ill with an infection regardless of what I get , I get poorly very quickly and it wipes me out . THIS HAS TO BE OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED BY THE NHS AS A CHRONIC LONG TERM CONDITION .

[ameliapond in reply to Quartz22]

You are so right lets hope LSN gets everyones message across

[AnneBury]

There is any earlier post from the LSN which covers this.

[kHP22]

Thanks , I’ll have a look at it . I believe the official line is that having lymphoedena doesn’t make you more prone to the virus which I totally agree with but they seem to have missed the main point that we are still vulnerable because our immune systems won’t be able to cope with as well as it normally should .

[AnneBury in reply to kHP22]

The LSN advice is from the UKs leading lymphoedema experts.

[kHP22]

It still doesn’t address the fact that our immune system isn’t working at full capacity in comparison to others . We all know how quickly we can feel poorly if we get any sort of infection . The experts seem to be just talking purely about the fact that we are not more prone to get the virus which is true but it’s how we respond to fight it that’s important .

[buddlia12]

The fact is we are still learning aout how the Covid 19 virus affects any one healthy or medically compromised. We DO know that it specifically damages the lungs, rather than lymph nodes, soft tissue elsewhere. I would suggest that anyone with lymphoedema, who feels particularly vulnerable because of past experience with viral infections, make a uni lateral decision to shield themselves , irrespective of having received a letter or not. Stay in , stop the virus spreading, Stay safe.

[Hidden]

If you feel you are vulnerable then you can register yourself here;

google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j...

If that doesn’t work please search “ extremely vulnerable gov.uk

Wendy