QOur son T has recurrent croup. He has been hospitalised several times with the condition, bouts are becoming less frequent but still occur with viral infections. Our concern is that if he contracted Covid-19 it would be a severe case. We haven’t had a letter and don’t consider him to be extremely vulnerable but he is vulnerable. T’s dad is a key worker in food factory. Our question is should we all be shielding or is it still ok for J to go to work in a factory environment with 40 other people?
AThe situation you’ve explained is a concern to a great number of families. As you describe, T does not come into the category of ‘extremely vulnerable’. However he is vulnerable to ANY viral infection that may provoke his croup and in this way coronavirus may cause him to be similarly unwell. As a result taking sensible precautions – particularly with hand washing and limiting T’s contact with others. With T’s dad needing to work, taking a change of clothes for him to change into before returning home, and showering once home, would be an additional step to provide yourselves some reassurance.
An additional point is that we are concerned that people may be wary of coming to hospital to seek help should their child be unwell, due to concerns of catching coronavirus. We want to stress that emergency hospital care continues and readily available for children who need us. Please adhere to the action plan you may have agreed with your healthcare team.
With best wishes,