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Corona Virus Information

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Category: Medical Info and Drug Trials

Published on Wednesday, 18 March 2020 20:26

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Our staff are continuing to work from home and as such our shop is not sending out orders. However we are still sending out information resources. These can take up to 3-4 weeks under the current circumstances.

Covid 19 Vaccine

With a current rollout of the Pfizer / Oxford vaccines across the UK, as well as others awaiting approval, people with fibromyalgia may be wondering about when they will become eligible for it and whether there are any consideraritions for them. Our advice is to follow your GPs instructions and obtain the vaccine as soon as you can.

Your GP will direct you appropriately and having the vaccine is the ideal way to avoid having covid on top of fibromyalgia or lessen the severity of it if you did catch it. There are no fibromyalgia specific reasons to delay having the vaccine but individual circumstances will dictate when you receive it. More info on the vaccine.

Info about risk from Corona Virus

Let me start by acknowledging fully that Coronavirus and the disease COVID-19 are quite possibly the most important and immediate health issues we have ever seen. It is wholly understandable that everyone needs and wants to ask for help, to discuss and to consider everything about the issues that we are facing.

On Facebook groups, online forums and other channels there are plenty of opportunities to share support and information. However, there tends to be no specific health care professional knowledge or experience there which is in any way deeper or more helpful than appears elsewhere.

Items that are being pasted on these channels from Facebook and elsewhere are often incorrect or even worse dangerously so. We have seen people advertising producs based on false information relating to fibro and this virus.

Fibromyalgia is not an autoimmune condition and on the basis of fibro you are no more at risk of this new virus than someone without fibromyalgia. Please check current government advice about whether you should self isolate or not with the Social Distancing link below. Within those guidelines it is mentioned that chronic neurological conditons are included but the conditions mentioned include neurodegenerative conditions such as parkinsons and MS. Fibromyalgia like tourettes and narcolepsy would be within the conditions that are stable with changing needs and are not neurodegenaritive. 

Some Useful Links Below

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine
• General NHS/ GOV Covid-19 advice
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): UK government response - Main hub page for this event
• Benefits Info: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/face-to-face-health-assessments-for-benefits-suspended-amid-coronavirus-outbreak
• Social Distancing: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults
  (This shows a list of the at risk groups which does not include fibromyalgia.)
• New Lockdown Guidance - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-52010555
  Essentialy stay at home.
• Mind has some useful information on dealing with your mental health during this time.

FMA UK Statement on COVid19 

Des Quinn
FMA UK Chair

19/03/2020 - Added clarification on neurological conditions.
23/03/2020 - Added lock down guidance
23/12/2020 - Added Vaccine info and tidied up.