Bill Wright, Chair of Haemophilia Scotland, has written an update with regards to the ongoing situation with coronavirus.
Bill writes below:
“Hello Folks,
COVID 19 – STAY SAFE.
We are acutely aware that this is a really really testing time for anyone with bleeding disorders, young or old, severe or moderate, infected or not.
In particular, for those who were HIV or hepatitis infected there are obviously a lot of questions about what you can do and not do and how any monitoring or treatment might be affected by the desperate pressure on the NHS.
We have been working hard with Scottish Government to establish more clarity on the official advice for those with chronic liver disease. Everyone wants to know where they stand depending on their personal position. As a consequence of the ongoing dialogue we have been having with Scottish Government an update on the advice is due, with in particular greater clarity for those with compensated cirrhosis who should already be following at a minimum the guidance that applies to the over 70s.
Meantime it is vital that those who should have a letter from their GPs calling on them to follow the strictest ‘shielding’ practices do so ie including even distancing themselves from other members of their household and certainly not going out. Those in the shielding ‘category’ are those who have de-compensated cirrhosis; autoimmune hepatitis; have had a liver transplant and are on immunosuppressants. Advice for those who have had liver transplants can be found here. https://www.organdonationscotland.org/news-events/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-transplant-recipients
It is not a message I take any pleasure in passing on, quite the reverse, but as a charity that seeks to support you and is anxious about your safety, we need to make sure you are getting the information you need. So, as soon as we hear further from Scottish Government we will pass any statement onto you.
Until we get the updated advice from Government here in Scotland, one of the best links to follow is that of the British Liver Trust https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/coronavirus-covid-19-health-advice-for-people-with-liver-disease-and-liver-transplant-patients/ .
NHS Inform Scotland also has some relevant information https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19 .
Finally, as you will appreciate, we are not medical experts here, but simply mainly volunteers who are experiencing many of the same questions and thoughts that you have. The first point of contact for those with liver conditions has to be your hepatology/gastroenterology specialist but if you have any particular worries outstanding please do get in touch.
Meantime stay safe, stay well and stay home ———- and wash your mitts!
All the very best, Bill.”
8 April