Advice needed- Return to the workplace after working from home due to being immunosuppressed.

[Yellow92]

I take MMF 3g a day, Rituximab infusions every 6 months, hydroxychloroquine, prednisolone and other medication. I've been advised that I will be expected to return to the office once FFP3 facemasks are provided. I feel very uncomfortable about returning to work as it is a public facing role. I wondered what is other peoples experience. I'm worried about the risk I might put myself under. This is also due to my current lung capacity being at 50%. My most recent lupus flare effected my heart, kidneys and lungs, along with joint pain, chest pain and fatigue. Any advice will be very appreciated.

[UCTD]

Hello Yellow92, you sound a lot like me, we take the same medications, and I have been working from home since March 2020. I live in Ireland, and the most recent update I have been given ( from occupational health)is a phased return to the workplace and a third dose of the COVID vaccine. I am in the middle of my Rituximab infusion need the second dose in 2 weeks. I will need to wait for a few weeks after to have the third dose of vaccine, then I will return to the office on a phased basis.Be very careful, and seek advice from the Occupational Health Doctor at your workplace. Good luck!

[Yellow92 in reply to UCTD]

Thank you for your response UCTD, I find it very challenging having to decide whether to return to the office. I'm due to have an Occ Health appointment next week, but I get the feeling there is a push to return to the work place. Fingers crossed they'll be understanding. It's been really helpful hearing your advice especially given you take similar medication . Thank you

[Sara_A]

Hi, I agree this must e a very scary time for u, I am immunosuppressed but only on methotrexate 25mg injections weekly, 10mgs prednisolone daily, hydroxychloroquine 400mgs plus all sorts of other meds inc zomorph daily. So not as bad as you 2 guys but still extremely vulnerable.I worked from home for 15 months and I have gone back into work in August I think it was, I work as a practice nurse so quite a risky place! I started seeing patients face to face just one or two a day low risk kind of patients like blood tests etc. I am the COPD and asthma nurse for the surgery so I can't really be seeing people that are essentially going to be coming in coughing everywhere. We are still not really bringing patients in unless necessary, to keep them and us safe. I do mostly phone calls and the majority can be dealt with this way if not I can bring people in to see somebody else.

Work have been very good and they did infact say that I could continue to work from home but it was me that wanted to come back, I felt that I'd had enough time at home and that if I didn't do it now it would be harder the longer I left it. I was double vaccinated and there was a significant amount of the public vaccinated by the time I went back.

I have just recently had my covid booster dose, I am really careful, wearing a mask everywhere and I gel my hands religiously.

I will not see any patients that wont wear a mask though we do insist that patients wear masks in the building there are 1 or 2 that still refuse but I definitely will not see anyone that isnt wearing a mask and I tell them to wear it correctly ie over the nose too!! That is a massive bug bear of mine - yesterday at the hospital 2 people I had to sit near waiting for an MRI 2 had masks under their nose and 1 had hers pulled down eating a sandwich!! Thankfully I got called straight in as I was getting anxious.

Anyway I'm sorry I've rattled on about other stuff.....but yes speak with ur occ health def good to have their support and back up, u have to look out for urself and if u are not happy with a situation then u need to speak up, don't be afraid to as I'm sure they wouldn't be! U have had lung and heart involvement so u have to be careful and they need to appreciate that x

Good luck and take care

[Yellow92 in reply to Sara_A]

Hi Sarah_A, thank you, it's been really helpful to read your response. I sometimes think that maybe I am over the top with my situation, but on the other hand, every time I ask my rheumatologist whether I am likely to have an immune response from the Covid vaccine they say they don't know yet and I should still be careful. I've taken a vaccine immunity test which came back with me not having any antibodies. It makes me quite scared given that the infection numbers have been increasing recently and I know of people who have been seriously ill with Covid. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond, things have not been that great for me recently.

[overdrive67]

Hello Yellow 92, am a lot like you interms of symptoms, I have pleurisy, kidney infection on and off and a weak heart, am trying alternative remedies an a life style diet change, as much as possible, I try to avoid foods that trigger a flare-up, but a few days back I woke up with a red eye (right eye) and by evening my left wrist was aching, and boom yesterday evening I had a dry cough and body aches, I slept in the air conditioner during the day which is probably why I had a flare-up but I have started on a 10mg prednisolone last night and this morning there is a significant relief thought am still on my natural remedies like herbal green tea, turmeric, black pepper, ginger, rosemary and thyme, which are all anti-inflammatories, I mix all the powders and put a teaspoon or 1/2 in my beverage everyday and that has kept the bugs away. Good luck to us on our journey to better health.

[Yellow92 in reply to overdrive67]

Thank you, overdrive67, I've been advised by a pharmacist some time back about tumeric, he advised putting some in yoghurt or milk with honey I have tried it for a bit, but stopped as I thought my teeth were become a bit stained from the tumeric. Do you feel the alternative antiinflammatories have been working for you? I think I might give them another try as I had to stop using naproxen due to it interacting my other medication. Apologies for taking I while to reply and thank you for your advice.

[Roarah]

I have been working in person since September 2020 and can not express how much I feel masks work. I spent long hours side by side many infected individuals and never got infected. I wore kn95s and never took it down to drink or eat in the building. If I needed to blow my nose I stepped outside. I work with primary age unvaccinated students and still wear my mask 24/7 so as not to unknowingly infect them. Masks are the important variant to stopping infection in my opinion. There were zero cases of strep, flu or colds last school year too

[Yellow92 in reply to Roarah]

Thank you Roarah, it's great to hear the facemasks have kept you safe. I'm due to have an appointment with occupational health to fit FFP3 facemasks, so it's reassuring to hear that facemasks have worked for you. I have been avoiding indoor things like shopping, restaurants, meeting people in person etc, as I'm still quite worried and becoming a bit fed up with it. Although I still did not have any positive news about my vaccine response. But it's great to hear the fn95 masks have worked for you and it makes me feel a better as work are willing to provide the facemasks. Sorry for the delayed response, and thank you for your advice.

[Tkt3699]

Oh no! I would think you could/should Still be able to work from home! Especially with only50% lung capacity. And ALL your other ailments.... Will they have Plexiglas separating you from public & in all honesty your co-workers too! I've had my vax shots I STILL keep my distance as much as possible. I wear my mask. Sometimes 2 masks… if is busy hospital or kids are around! I love kids, but they get me so sick! When my kiddo went to school WE caught EVERYTHING!!! twice probably! I worked with the public & I caught hand, foot & mouth disease! Oh boy..... I'm rambling! Can the doctors write something in favor of homework😀

[Yellow92 in reply to Tkt3699]

Hi Tkt3699, I've been quite similar and still try and keep my distance as much as possible, and avoid indoor activities, but it's becoming a bit annoying and I feel like the odd one out. I'm so glad I'm not the only one with two facemasks in a hospital I felt so unsafe recently when I went to see my rheumatologist and there was someone not wearing a mask. I was so happy when I was able to get out. The doctors offered to write something, but it's quite wishy washy as they don't want me to stop working but do all that is possible to keep me safe, they won't specifically say that I need to work from home all the time as they don't want to impact on my work. It's strange I'm told to do all I can to keep safe, as they don't know if the jabs worked but then they say they don't want it to impact on my life and work... Which is just impossible. Anyways sorry, I went of there a bit. Good luck and thank your your response and sorry for taking so long to respond, the increasing numbers, and pressure from work to get into the office has been getting me down recently. I'm glad I'm not being over the top about this. Being on all these immunosuppressants is new to me and quite scary.