I would love to hear if anyone has had experience of assessing antivirals abroad or has any information on how to do so. I am fearful of travelling overseas in case I catch Covid but would love to do so. I can’t find any information anywhere about this subject.
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Hi @Darish I will copy your post to Blood Cancer UK for you in case they can help.
@BloodCancerUK
Someone might be able to share their experiences for you too.
I can tell you want to start the year as you mean to go on.
Go for it and please let us know your plans.
Look after yourself
Hello there @Darish
Thank you for posting and it is understandable that you ask about COVID treatments abroad. Whilst we know many countries have treatments it really does depend on where you are going and the preparations you make prior to leaving. Here is some information we have on our [Antibody and antiviral treatments for people with blood cancer | Blood Cancer UK] pages: (Antibody and antiviral treatments for people with blood cancer | Blood Cancer UK)
What if I want to travel or go on holiday?
If you are thinking of travelling away from home, do discuss this with your healthcare team or doctor first. Ask them:
- What do I need to think about before travelling?
- What should I do if I test positive for covid while I’m away?
Not everyone with blood cancer needs antivirals or antibody treatments for covid, but some do. For many people, covid can seem mild at first but then get worse.
Before you go away, make sure you:
- Have all of your covid vaccinations, including the spring booster
- Ask your healthcare team what you should do if you get covid while you are away
- Have contact numbers for your healthcare team, including numbers for evenings and weekends
- Take a recent clinic letter and any medication paperwork with you
- Take lateral flow tests away with you, and test if you get symptoms
- Get travel insurance if you can - Macmillan have some information on travel insurance.
- Ask your healthcare team for a letter to take with you, detailing your current diagnosis, treatment and condition overview, medication list, fitness to travel, and eligibility for new covid treatments.
If you get covid while you are away, tell your healthcare team straight away and get their advice.
You can also check the policy for covid treatments in the country you are visiting by contacting their health authority. If you have a UK European Health Insurance Card (UK EHIC) that hasn’t expired yet, or a UK Global Health Insurance Card (UK GHIC), you can access the same medical treatments as residents of the country you are in. So if covid treatments like Paxlovid are available in the country you are in, and you would be eligible for it according to that country’s guidance, you might be able to access it there.
I do hope this helps and please do call us if you need any further support:
How to contact us
You can call us free on 0808 2080 888 to speak to a member of our trained blood cancer support team in confidence. Our phone lines are open:
- Monday: 10am–7pm
- Tuesday to Friday: 10am–4pm
- Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays: 10am–1pm
Kind regards
Gemma
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