High risk for COVID-19 and receiving letters/contact from NHS

[PMRpro]

gov.uk/government/publicati...

The above guidance describes 2 groups of people; “those who are at increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus” and “clinical conditions which put people at even higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. If you are in this category, next week the NHS will directly contact you.”

Most of us fall into the first category, so you are highly unlikely to be receiving direct contact from the NHS. If you fall into the second category, you should be contacted. That said, it may be that you slip through the net, so if have any of the below conditions, it’s probably sensible to contact your specialists directly:

- people who have received an organ transplant and remain on ongoing immunosuppression medication

- people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radiotherapy

- people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia who are at any stage of treatment

- people with severe chest conditions such as cystic fibrosis or severe asthma (requiring hospital admissions or courses of steroid tablets)

- people with severe diseases of body systems, such as severe kidney disease (dialysis)

I know my niece with cystic fibrosis has already been contacted. If anyone on the forum comes under any of those groups is worried - please contact your medical team if you hear nothing soon, In the meantime, self-isolate as much as you are able - there is a wonderful word in the English language: NO!!! Use it firmly if you need to.

With a grateful shout-out to Crashdoll of the LupusUK forum for bringing this to my notice.

[5lupins]

Thank you for the above. I was thinking the haematologist would contact us this week as OH has chemo tablets to take at home but goes for infusion in two weeks. He is doing really well so we are self isolating and stay hopeful. Love to all. x

[Suffolklady]

Thank for that bit of information it was very informative.

[Kath567]

I was told by the pharmacist of the Arthritis Program (Canada) for PMR that I was not more susceptible to catch the virus because my prednisone dosage is under 20 mg and because of my age of 56. I wonder if others in the younger age bracket have been told similar? I do believe however with 2 autoimmune conditions I am at more risk of serious complications.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Kath567]

Living in Italy I have become quite clear that younger age is less of a protection than has been suggested. Increasing numbers of younger patients, 40 and 50s, are having to be supported in hospital - and were fit and healthy previously.

This is a link to a post I put up earlier. I trust the source.

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[Kath567 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for the information. I read the other posts too. Wish I could work from home full time instead of a big office.