CDC recommendation about “underlying health conditions”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to know this as well. I have cold symptoms with no fever and I went in for something recently and doctor put me on a corticosteroid. One comfort is that many young people who were affected very seriously had immune responses in overdrive...

Why did your doctor do that?

She’s guessing I have some inflammation in my chest/rib cage area. I’m kind of freaked out about taking the meds but I suspect my immune system has been in overdrive the past year as I’ve had lots of unrelated autoimmune symptoms so hopefully the dose will just bring immune function closer to normal rather than actual lower than normal.

I would love to hear if anyone has talked to their doctors about being on immunosuppressant drugs now. My guess is if they had no concerns about you taking the it during flu season, they aren’t acting any differently now.

That makes sense. What a bummer. Are the steroids helping?

I think you’re right about the last sentence, but I don’t think the advice totally makes sense because covid is more serious from a community health perspective. I will call my doctor on Monday.

Please post back with what the office says!

I’m early in my course of the drug so nothing except having a mini panic attack over taking it lol. I have anxiety and having to take a drug that might suppress immune response during a pandemic is not helping my anxiety levels.

[Anonymous]

I’m taking methotrexate, and not sure if it will be beneficial or work against me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to know this as well. I have cold symptoms with no fever and I went in for something recently and doctor put me on a corticosteroid. One comfort is that many young people who were affected very seriously had immune responses in overdrive...

Why did your doctor do that?

She’s guessing I have some inflammation in my chest/rib cage area. I’m kind of freaked out about taking the meds but I suspect my immune system has been in overdrive the past year as I’ve had lots of unrelated autoimmune symptoms so hopefully the dose will just bring immune function closer to normal rather than actual lower than normal.

I would love to hear if anyone has talked to their doctors about being on immunosuppressant drugs now. My guess is if they had no concerns about you taking the it during flu season, they aren’t acting any differently now.

That makes sense. What a bummer. Are the steroids helping?

I think you’re right about the last sentence, but I don’t think the advice totally makes sense because covid is more serious from a community health perspective. I will call my doctor on Monday.

Please post back with what the office says!

I’m early in my course of the drug so nothing except having a mini panic attack over taking it lol. I have anxiety and having to take a drug that might suppress immune response during a pandemic is not helping my anxiety levels.

I changed my mind and called now. I’m waiting for a call back. I have a cough and a fever of 100 and so I’m going to ask if that is a reason to stop taking Humira (even though I’m pretty sure it’s not) and I’ll ask about elevated risk then. I don’t have a lot of hope I’ll get a good answer because the response seems so disjointed.

[Anonymous]

Asthma definitely puts you at higher risk.
I agree there was initially contradictory information about asthma.

As for you, OP, I would practice social distancing.
1. Send out an email reminding people to stay home if they have symptoms.
2. Do not stand or sit too close to others when meeting in person. This means finding larger rooms, setting up and disinfecting microphones, or inviting fewer people to meetings.
3. Do not shake hands. Smile, say "So happy to meet you", etc, do not touch them.
4. When the number of cases explode, as it will, explain that you will be working from home. Set up videoconferencing now at your home. Work the phone. Etc.

[Anonymous]

I’m an elementary school teacher who is on Remicade for IBD. Am I screwed?

I don’t know if I should be considered in the high risk group or should just take reasonable precautions. But I have kids coughing and sneezing around me all day every day. I just got over a bad upper respiratory illness that took weeks to kick. I am out of sick leave for the year, otherwise I’d take the next week odd because by the time they close schools it will be spreading rampantly.

[Anonymous]

There is possibly very good news for those with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis who are on plaquenil, which is also an anti-malarial drug.

Chinese doctors used it experimentally to treat COVID-19.

It is currently in stage 3 clinical trials at the NIH for treating the virus.

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04261517

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is possibly very good news for those with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis who are on plaquenil, which is also an anti-malarial drug.

Chinese doctors used it experimentally to treat COVID-19.

It is currently in stage 3 clinical trials at the NIH for treating the virus.

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04261517

This is OP, very interesting. I saw there were some reports of use of a similar drug to hydroxychloroquine in China, but which isn’t on the market here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is possibly very good news for those with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis who are on plaquenil, which is also an anti-malarial drug.

Chinese doctors used it experimentally to treat COVID-19.

It is currently in stage 3 clinical trials at the NIH for treating the virus.

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04261517

This is OP, very interesting. I saw there were some reports of use of a similar drug to hydroxychloroquine in China, but which isn’t on the market here.

PP here. I realized I read too quickly. The clinical trial is taking place in China, but listed by the NIH.

[Anonymous]

I have several underlying health conditions that make every single day, not just days with Coronavirus concerns, stressful and at any moment I could find myself back in the hospital. A few years ago I developed agoraphobia due to the severe anxiety I had related to my conditions (which are permanent). I never want to go back to living that way again.

If I caught corona I have a much higher chance of getting pneumonia. But I’ve had it several times before and am still here. I did a few years of CBT, talk therapy and SSRIs related to chronic illness anxiety and I am in a much better place.

I am living my life. I am leaving my house, I am still planning on taking my kids on spring break, I am still doing everything I have before this “pandemic”. I am washing my hands regularly. I am also never getting on a cruise ship.

I cannot let fear and paranoia take over me. At this point, what good does it do to sit in my house all day? Making my kids freak out and learning to fear life. The risks are very low. Everyday of life is a gift. Live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child has asthma. He’s gotten pneumonia more then once and sometimes even just colds require a trip to the ER for breathing treatment. He last had pneumonia in the middle of summer.

I know we’re being told this isn’t harming kids as much, but I’m worried. Families from his school are still carrying on like NBD. One just got back from Disney. Another from Great Wolf Lodge.

Really torn on what I’m supposed to do for my kid. Pull him out of school? How would that work when there are supposedly no cases here. (VA)

Have them run your child’s titers to see if his pneumococcal vaccine is working. My daughter with asthma got repeated bouts of pneumonia and had to be revaccjnated. No occurrences since. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

OP, did you hear back from your doctor yet?

[Anonymous]

My teen daughter takes 200 mg of plaquenil for lupus and her doctor is not concerned as it isn’t as immunosuppressive as most of the other options like steroids. Methotrexate. Cell cept, biologicS

She said she didn’t need to take special precautionS. I called the rheumatologist on Friday

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m on Humira and I wish I could find out more about this. Exactly how elevated is my risk? Anyway my plans are:

Make my kids change clothes, remove shoes, and wash hands when they come inside
I’m going to avoid grocery stores except maybe early in the morning
My kids’ friends aren’t allowed inside
I majorly upped my hand-washing game. My hands are cracked. I don’t know what to do about that.

I’m a SAHM so I don’t have to worry about work.

How much pure water do you drink every day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have several underlying health conditions that make every single day, not just days with Coronavirus concerns, stressful and at any moment I could find myself back in the hospital. A few years ago I developed agoraphobia due to the severe anxiety I had related to my conditions (which are permanent). I never want to go back to living that way again.

If I caught corona I have a much higher chance of getting pneumonia. But I’ve had it several times before and am still here. I did a few years of CBT, talk therapy and SSRIs related to chronic illness anxiety and I am in a much better place.

I am living my life. I am leaving my house, I am still planning on taking my kids on spring break, I am still doing everything I have before this “pandemic”. I am washing my hands regularly. I am also never getting on a cruise ship.

I cannot let fear and paranoia take over me. At this point, what good does it do to sit in my house all day? Making my kids freak out and learning to fear life. The risks are very low. Everyday of life is a gift. Live.

You're not fearing life. You're fearing a pandemic of a contagious virus when you already have compromised health. You're not making your kids freak out. You're making them appreciate the importance of community cooperation when it comes to something that affects everyone. They are not closing schools because administrators fear one child may get sick. They are closing them so that kids don't spread the virus to hundreds of households that include elderly grandparents, immune compromised siblings, and diabetic parents with heart conditions. Taking precautions does not immediately equate fearing life. I daresay it's the opposite and treasuring it for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Please add your voice to the discussion if in entire DMV area schools should close NOW closing


https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/862354.page