Corona Virus/covid 19

silverfoxxxx

I struggle to find anything UK based but in the US auto immune sufferers and people on auto immune drugs are being told to distance themselves from others as much as possible and follow the normal guidelines supplied with your drugs regarding stopping if you get Flu like symptoms and contacting your rheumatologist or specialist nurse.
I am definitely going to struggle with this as working in a supermarket I’m coming into contact with double the people this week to last with all the panic buying and feels this will only get worse if the UK starts to close other businesses and schools down.

Mike1

I spoke to a nurse yesterday about the subject, as the virus affects the lungs I asked whether having had a pneumonia jab would offer a bit of a barrier and she thought that it would. 😊

dreamdaisy

Those of us who, regardless of age, are on immuno-suppressing medication are automatically in the high risk group for covid 19 leading to death, together with those with circulatory or respiratory trouble. I am currently not taking meth and humira due to a recent bout of tonsillitis and I am not fully recovered.

I am staying indoors as much as possible and, once I resume the meds, will continue so to do. I am fortunate in that I have a generally healthy Spouse who is very conscientious about hand hygeine and, although it is inconvenient to lead a more-restricted-than-usual life I think it's the sensble option. Having spent the first eight weeks of 2020 in bed with a flare this year ain't going that well. 😂 DD

Adi65

Hi I to take methotrexate and work in a care home and am wondering if should self isolate I am 65 and seem to get unwell frequently hoping to get some answers.keep well everyone

Mkonedesign

I take Methotrexate and Etanercept. My employer, a University, has already advised me to work from home which I am very grateful for. I have no worrying symptoms at the moment, but I do also have hypertension and a history of respiratory conditions, so I'm pretty clearly in a high-risk category. I am wondering whether stopping my arthritis medication for the time-being would be the lesser of two possible evils as this might allow my immunity to build up. Anybody got any wise words, or better-still, knowledge on this? Thanks

Brynmor

@Mkonedesign stopping your current medication without consulting your healthcare provider is not a recommended course of action:

The current advice is that you should not stop taking your medications unless advised to do so by your rheumatologist or rheumatology nurse.

By stopping your medication, you're more likely to have a ‘flare’, which could make you more likely to pick up an infection.

If you have concerns about your medication, speak to a member of your healthcare team.

This quote is from our coronavirus page which contains the latest updated advice and links concerning the current crisis.

Best wishes

Brynmor

Mkonedesign

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/664921#Comment_664921

Thank you

Sandp27

I`m in my 40`s and on Leflunomide (DMARDs) for Psoriatic Arthritis - I`ve spoken to my Specialist Nurse today who gave advise that it is unlikely I`d been considered as vulnerable in respect of the proposed quarantine for over 70`s and younger people with underlying conditions. She said the drug targets key areas of your immune system and if fit and well I should only get relatively mild symptoms if I catch it. No guarantees of course but it has reassured me a little and hopefully others. Still need to follow guidance and wash those hands and I`m being very careful where I go - `social distancing`.

silverfoxxxx

Is the general feeling that we are not a vulnerable crowd of people?, I work in retail and am now unfortunately at the brunt of every disgusting person that doesn’t wash their hands or cover their mouths when coughing and am concerned it’s not if but when I’ll catch the virus, a thinning of some of the people that shout at me like I’m their servant wouldn’t go amiss mind, manners seem to have disappeared as part of the outbreak.

Bluebell7

I think anyone on immunosuppressants would be in the high risk group.

I'm in the high risk group, but I also have diabetes and asthma.

Pretty sure I have the virus currently, wow do my lungs hurt very sharp pains.

Hopefully I'll have immunity pretty soon.

Annj

How are you feeling today Bluebell? If you're experiencing chest pain that is worsening or causing difficulty in breathing it would be wise to ring 111.

Take care and hope you'll be feeling better soon.

Ann

Bluebell7

Thank you AnnJ, the pains stopped luckily.

will phone 111 if I get worse again.

feeling slightly better, wish they'd test those in the high risk groups.

Weepth2k10

Hope everyone is well.
I feel as though iam stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Dont know what i should be doing. I take sulfasalazine and benepali, i feel in the wrong to be self isolating for 12 weeks. I have work and financial commitments and family commitments which are even more important. 9 year old and twin 6 year olds, i do the school run in the morning and really dont want to be away from them or my wife.
I try to laugh my way through rubish times but this is totally diffirent.
Everyone keep well.

dreamdaisy

There is undoubtedly much confusion and far too much scaremongering thanks to the scourge of social media. I think it was yesterday that the government altered their advice about self-isolating to the followng: if you qualify for a free flu jab then, regardless of age, you should self-isolate. I cannot begin to comprehend the effect this is going to have on families, incomes, business and employment but for many it is going to be necessary. Would you be able to work from home? Your family need you to be as healthy as possible . . . surely that can be better achieved in the controlled home environment with constant hand washing etc and banning all visitors.

I am prepared to go nowhere apart from the back garden for twelve weeks but I am a childless, retired old bat with a generally healthy spouse. He qualifies for a free flu jab because of me but has never been offered it so pays. As he has no underlying health conditions he will be going out once a week for food but no more than that: he has been self-isolating for the past week due to a nasty seasonal cough. DD

Weepth2k10

Working from isnt an option. Iam a bus driver with a large company and this panics my wife even more.
Ive been off for 2 weeks with anual leave. I go back on sunday was thinking of contacting the union for advice. 12 weeks of pottering around in the house and garden would drive me mad i think.

silverfoxxxx

Just make sure everyone is timing your quarantine, I’ve been told I can start mine when I need, I work in retail so plenty of opportunity to catch it, but in Somerset only 3 positive cases so I am hanging on until the outbreak is more prevalent in my area. Also mortgage holidays etc are available plus holiday usage to help cover costs, I will struggle financially even with this but better than the possible alternative and I’m sure if any of the companies took me to court regarding non payment of bills it would be quashed in the current climate, obviously need to prepare for extra payments when it is all over the catch back up mind with mortgage, credit debts.

lucybadger

Hello, I am 35 and have rheumatoid arthritis treated with methotrexate but otherwise am relatively healthy. There have already been a couple of suspected cases in and connected to my retail job so I have taken some time off. The question I have, is should I "socially distance" myself from my partner, who works in a local supermarket? He is fit and healthy but obviously working in a supermarket wi

dreamdaisy

Hello Weepth, I dimly remember now that you drove buses, apologies for forgetting. No-one knows how all of this is going to pan out but, if people do obey the restrictions on social mobility, your bosses may well find that the number of passengers drops to such low levels that routes will be restricted, even stopped, wth staff being laid off for the duration. All I can suggest is you keep an anti-bac wipe to hand and keep mopping down all surfaces that those who cough and sneeze contaminate. Wear surgical gloves which can be changed every hour or more often and do not touch your face. DD

dreamdaisy

Hello lucy, my answer is yes. My husband is self-isolating with a seasonal cough, purely so he does not a) alarm others and b) infect me. Our situation is somewhat different as we are both retired but, whenever he comes in from outdoors, he self-disinfects very thoroughly! DD

YvonneH

Hi, here's the latest from VA

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2020/march/coronavirus-covid-19-what-is-it-and-where-to-go-for-information/

It's also got where to go for more help.

YvonneH

Extra advice on those thinking of taking Ibuprofen or those that are on prescription NSAID's (non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs) is in the NHS site. Here's the link

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/

lucybadger

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/665000#Comment_665000

Thanks dreamdaisy. I'm just not sure whether to stay living with him and just try to keep separate and do lots of cleaning or whether I should get out and go stay with my parents, who are both retired and socially distancing together. I don't really want to leave but it might be logistically easier.

dreamdaisy

I can't help with that decision, me and my husband are living separate lives under one roof and so far so good. He returned from a shopping expedition earlier, told me to get out of the way (which I happily did) whilst he washed all the shopping and put it away. We are not spending any time together and maintaining a minimum distance of ten feet.

Silverfoxx, you have my sympathy. Mr DD went to Sainsbriz today fully aware that restrictions were placed on the amounts people could buy. Needless to say there were no toilet or kitchen rolls, ready meals, fish fingers, pasta, tomato soup or chicken portions, sausages and ready sauces but everything else was OK. The woman at the cashout had to deal with a fair few members of the great British uninte!ligentsia as they tried to circumvent the rule of three. It all got rather heated thanks to the dimwits and she was on the receiving end of un-necessary, gratuitous abuse because she was enforcing a rule that had to be brought in thanks to the selfishness of hundreds of similar morons. DD

Sandp27

I`m in my 40`s and on Leflunomide (DMARDs) for Psoriatic Arthritis - I`ve spoken to my Specialist Nurse today who gave advise that it is unlikely I`d been considered as vulnerable in respect of the proposed quarantine for over 70`s and younger people with underlying conditions. She said the drug targets key areas of your immune system and if fit and well I should only get relatively mild symptoms if I catch it. No guarantees of course but it has reassured me a little and hopefully others. Still need to follow guidance and wash those hands and I`m being very careful where I go - `social distancing`.

Sandp27

Well after my previous post I`ve now had conflicting advice, Rhem Nurse has said twice that I`m not in the vulnerable group as the immune system is well managed (On Leflunomide) but the GP has said absolutely I am. It`s all very confusing. Has anyone else been advised that those on DMARDs are on the 12 week isolation - I think we are but it is a worry when medical professionals don`t agree.