Hi everyone, I know everyone is concerned with covid 19, but I work in a local corner shop 5 hours a day and am really concerned with the low immune system. I am on pred and methotrexate and my family are all saying I should stay off but can you literally stay off for god knows how long. Advice please.
Gca v coronavirus : Hi everyone, I know everyone is... - PMRGCAuk
Gca v coronavirus
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Willow33
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DorsetLadyPMRGCAuk volunteer
TBH that’s something we can’t answer.
You are more at risk with having GCA , but you need to discuss with your employers. It depends what precautions they have in place - as you’re handling cash etc as well as meeting numerous people every day.
They obviously can’t pay you if you’re not there, and the government hasn’t made it clear what assistance they are going to give to any employer really - apart from an overarching comment in the budget.
As a part-time employee you aren’t likely to get the same sickness benefits as a full employee, so can you afford not to work?
I suspect most on here would say - stop work......but the final decision is yours.
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I can't comment on whether you can stay off for a long time - but if you are on both pred and mtc I think you do need to discuss this with both your doctor and your employer. I would think you are very likely at an increased risk being on both drugs.
I too have GCA and I'm on Pred and MTX, and I have the same concerns about vulnerability to the coronavirus, so I called 111 for advice yesterday. The best they could tell me was to self isolate and try to get someone else to fetch shopping for me, or order it online and pay for delivery, get them to leave it on the doorstep, etc. They also said I need to speak with my rheumy about the MTX which is an immunosuppressant. It would leave me less able to fend it off should I contract the virus. I know MTX can be stopped for a while, like when I had my operation the doc stopped it for 5-6wks. But this virus thing can be around for many months and prolonged ceasing of MTX could possibly cause a flare. I'll let you know what they advise me when I've spoken with rheumatology.
I'm in Sydney , and I'm scheduled for an angiogram (cerebral) on wed and I'm on methotrexate and prednisone too. I just started MTX 3 weeks ago and still on 7.5mg per week and only on 2.5mg pred. I think that area where the hospital is may have infections now as some businesses in the city (goldman sachs )closed today, but they will not tell us anything...in case we panic, sigh.
Let us know how you go . My GP on sat couldt see why I should postpone it.. then agian he think the virus is nteresting and wants to see what happens and doesnt think we should bother about containment...
GS are closed worldwide. And I'd be changing my GP - what an utter lunatic!
It is interesting - but really I do not want to be the experimental bunny to allow others to find out about it. Even the UK government has now realised that maybe this "interesting" aspect is not the way to deal with it. Let it burn and you will have a health situation comparable to your bushfires. Lombardy has one of the best and best funded healthcare systems in the world - it is on its knees.
Today it was announced that a 48 year old paramedic has died of Covid19 here - it doesn't just kill off the potential Tory voters (generally old), it can kill the young who you need to staff your heath service.
"Let it burn and you will have a health situation comparable to your bushfires." wow, that is exactly what I thought about the Aussie govt's strategy ! Our only saving has been it's not virus(read flu) season here until Jun to Oct..and I suspect the Coronavirus may follow similar growth and waning peaks with weather (mainly die to the lower VitD and lack of outdoors exposure and containment within buildings spreading it faster I guess).
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