A week ago I posted a message titled "Compromised imune system & Coronavirus" (note I misspelt 'immune'!) and asking the following question:-
"I have been treated for PMR for the last 20 months by taking steroids (Prednisolone) and therefore have a compromised immune system. I am male and 76 years old, and have a pre-booked holiday in 3 weeks to Tenerife.
How likely is this to effect my tolerance to infection and/or hide my symptoms, i.e. muscle pain, etc, to coronavirus? "
Thank you to all who responded. However, since then I have spoken to my GP, with much the same question, though emphasising that the hotel we were going to stay at is about one mile from the H10 hotel in Adeje which went into 'lockdown' with all it's guests kept inside.
My GP's initial response was that he was in a difficult position, since the UK Foreign Office advice did not state that travel to Spain was a problem, and he could therefore not give me a letter that I could use to make a claim with my travel insurance should I decide not to go.
However, he did understand my question with regard to the effects of being on Prednisolone and contracting Coronavirus, and would immediately conduct some research. He rang me not long after, saying that he had found evidence that "may put me at risk if I was to contract Coronavirus . . . . . . and therefore writing in support of his holiday cancellation on medical grounds".
The holiday was immediately cancelled. It will be nice if the costs get refunded, but its not the main issue at all, but I do have ther letter.
In hindsight, it would have been good to know just what he found in his research, but at the time his response was enough. However, I did find an article discussing the aspect the other way around - i.e. using corticosteroids to treat Coronavirus.