Hi
I’m not worried in the slightest. I’ve got CML and have had covid twice.
If you’re at all worried you may wish to wear surgical grade masks?
It isn’t easy for people to converse or be aware of people’s emotions through mask wearing. We didn’t have the need for masks during the winter flu and cold seasons. PD
I agree with what you are saying. We have to be bold for our own health’s sake. My family and friends are happy to comply with masks, testing, open windows etc. And if we educate others about our needs and the reasons why, then we are doing a public service! I’d never heard of Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) or ITP before I was diagnosed but I’m happy to help folk understand the need to be careful.
It is unsettling. In fact it is unsettling how dismissive so many normal people become. Have you sent for any of the ‘Keep your distance’ badges - mine have lymphoma on but I guess there are similar for other issues. It is also hard when you have a simple issue and have to hang on the end of a phone for hours to contact the GP. I had asked for a phone appointment and the reminder suggested it was at the surgery. I tried numerous times over almost 24 hours and I was just trying not to let them down by being in the wrong place!
Great that you have a ‘keep your distance badge’ @nelletap
Isn’t life a stressful struggle sometimes just to speak to a GP.
Take care of yourself and please keep updating us
My husband and I had to visit a hospital outpatients ward a few weeks ago before masks were reintroduced. I believe my husband contracted Covid during the visit, as someone was coughing nearby in the waiting area. I think they were only wearing a surgical mask. I was lucky to avoid it because I was in the consultation room at that time. We were both wearing FFP3/2 masks. I am glad that masks have been reintroduced but wish that FFP3 masks were mandatory for hospital visits as the surgical masks don’t appear to offer enough protection to others.
I don’t think I even noticed if my medical team have been wearing masks at my appointments as I’m just so used now to nobody wearing them. I wear one when I go for bloods but the staff taking the bloods don’t. Other than that, the whole mask wearing thing seems to have slipped from everyone’s consciousness.
I have noticed hospitals in the same area vary on the mask policy. My local nhs hospital seem to encourage masks and about 70% in the main waiting room wore them and all clinicians but a private hospital close by was the opposite. In the waiting room i think only one other patient had a mask on but my consultant wore one. When i had to go for an MRI the staff didn’t wear them.
Hi @Ted369 thanks for the NHS poster and this is following the NHS guidance.
I believe a lot of charities (including Blood Cancer UK) are lobbying government about the vulnerable in our community.
You can always ask health professionals to wear a mask or make reasonable adjustments, but you cannot make them, I think it is up to us to try and keep ourselves as safe as possible.
I had a hospital appointment yesterday and for the first time, the mask restrictions have been removed from the chemo ward - which until this week, had kept them going for much longer than the other areas of the hospital. Such a disappointment… I continued to wear mine, but as we know, that has more of an effect of protecting others than protecting ourselves. All of the other patients in the waiting room had ditched theirs (but about 80% treated at this unit have solid tumours and I suspect perhaps they are less vulnerable to Covid than us blood cancer patients?)
Thank you @BloodCancerUK for the lobbying that you do to raise awareness of the vulnerable in the community.
I have found, in a clinical setting, if I wear a mask some ask me if I would like them to wear a mask. I am never worried about asking, if a mask is not suggested. Most people seem more than ok to find one. The one exception was my recent Haematology visit where no-one was wearing a mask, and it was suggested I took mine off. I read today that Covid numbers are increasing, as our not great summer is encouraging people to be inside more. Also vaccination cover is waning. Not great is it?
I agree with you @Spimula apart from your experience in Haematology??
All we can do is to try and look after ourselves.
The one dept haematology that I would have thought would have no issue with masks and being asked to wear one has been my biggest obstacle even being ridiculed by one of my consultants for the needless wearing of masks
Yet when I went for my first lot of re vaccinations the nurse wore a mask and I was able to go to the quietest medical centre by me with the kindest of consideration
I’m going for an MRI next week and they will wipe down a cubicle and I can sit in there away from general public and they will wear a mask too
None of this we don’t need to wear a mask anymore
I just don’t get why haematology consultants are being so against mask wearing
Thankfully my latest consultant has agreed to do telephone calls unless I need to see her and although she doesn’t wear a mask anymore she would if asked.
I have had to use section 4 of the NHS constitution to get to this point
It should support individuals to promote and manage their own health. NHS services must reflect, and should be coordinated around and tailored to, the needs and preferences of patients, their families and their carers
Thank you for your response. It did surprise me to be told I didn’t need to wear a mask, and no offer to wear one by my Haematology consultant. The waiting room is big and airy, but the consultation room is quite small. Ah well, as @Erica says, we do what we can to keep ourselves safe.
This is taken from a sky news report today around cases of covid riding
"WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said though people are better protected by vaccines and prior infection, countries should not let down their guard.
"WHO continues to advise people at high risk to wear a mask in crowded places, to get boosters when recommended, and to ensure adequate ventilation indoors," he said.
“And we urge governments to maintain and not dismantle the systems they built for COVID-19”
Definitely advocate and do a personal risk assessment for ourselves
Wise words from someone with oversight of the whole situation
