COVID-19: Information for our Patients
If you have ILD including pulmonary fibrosis and IPF, please consider taking full precautions to protect yourself from the transmission of COVID-19. The ILD medical community and the British Lung Foundation particularly consider those with pulmonary fibrosis including IPF and those on immunosuppression to be extremely vulnerable at this time. Please keep up-to-date on current advice using reputable news sources and seek help if you are struggling to cope with symptoms of the virus or of your lung disease. Below are some resources which you may find useful during this time:
Public Health England guidance on shielding for extremely vulnerable persons
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19
Government register for extremely vulnerable persons - to identify if you need extra help
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable
British Thoracic Society's COVID-19 resources for people with lung disease
https://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/about-us/covid-19-resources-for-people-with-lung-disease/
Staying Well whilst Isolating
It is as important as ever to take care of your lung health even though your routine may have been disrupted significantly. Here are some things you might consider:
Exercise
Please keep exercising! It is crucial to maintaining lung function, muscle strength and general wellbeing. Look at the British Lung Foundation's Stay Active, Stay Well resources for exercise ideas for people with lung conditions.
Breathlessness
The British Lung Foundation has lots of information to help you manage breathlessness, at a time when it might be more difficult to reach a professional for advice. There are also some breathlessness resources on this website.
Mental Health
Disruption to routine, social isolation and uncertainty can all have an impact on mental health. The government have released guidance on how to look after your mental health during the pandemic.
Sleep
If you are struggling to sleep at the moment, take a look at the sleep information on the patient resource page.
Further Support
It may be more difficult at this time to reach your GP practice, community team, or specialist nurses. For general advice on your condition, try exploring the British Lung Foundation and Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis websites for resources, or go to the patient resource page on our website.
Virtual Clinics on Attend Anywhere
You may have been offered a virtual clinic appointment with a member of our team. This will be on a platform called Attend Anywhere, and will be an appointment via video link between you and the consultant, nurse or pharmacist. We are hoping this will improve the quality of our consultations whilst we continue to try and reduce the number of people who attend the hospital. For more information about Attend Anywhere, click here.
Public Health England guidance on shielding for extremely vulnerable persons
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19
Government register for extremely vulnerable persons - to identify if you need extra help
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable
British Thoracic Society's COVID-19 resources for people with lung disease
https://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/about-us/covid-19-resources-for-people-with-lung-disease/
Staying Well whilst Isolating
It is as important as ever to take care of your lung health even though your routine may have been disrupted significantly. Here are some things you might consider:
Exercise
Please keep exercising! It is crucial to maintaining lung function, muscle strength and general wellbeing. Look at the British Lung Foundation's Stay Active, Stay Well resources for exercise ideas for people with lung conditions.
Breathlessness
The British Lung Foundation has lots of information to help you manage breathlessness, at a time when it might be more difficult to reach a professional for advice. There are also some breathlessness resources on this website.
Mental Health
Disruption to routine, social isolation and uncertainty can all have an impact on mental health. The government have released guidance on how to look after your mental health during the pandemic.
Sleep
If you are struggling to sleep at the moment, take a look at the sleep information on the patient resource page.
Further Support
It may be more difficult at this time to reach your GP practice, community team, or specialist nurses. For general advice on your condition, try exploring the British Lung Foundation and Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis websites for resources, or go to the patient resource page on our website.
Virtual Clinics on Attend Anywhere
You may have been offered a virtual clinic appointment with a member of our team. This will be on a platform called Attend Anywhere, and will be an appointment via video link between you and the consultant, nurse or pharmacist. We are hoping this will improve the quality of our consultations whilst we continue to try and reduce the number of people who attend the hospital. For more information about Attend Anywhere, click here.
