You may have received an email or letter from the NHS regarding COVID-19. The email clearly shows that the NHS is asking you, from Tuesday the 27th of June to go via your GP for COVID-19 antiviral therapies.
Dear Patient with multiple sclerosis,
You may have previously received a letter or email explaining that you might be suitable for treatments if you get COVID and how to get treatment, if required.
We are writing again because the way that you access treatment will change from Tuesday 27 June 2023.
If you get COVID from Tuesday 27 June 2023:
You will no longer be automatically contacted by the NHS about treatments after reporting a positive COVID test result.
You should instead contact your GP practice, NHS 111 or hospital specialist as soon as possible after you test positive so that they can consider referring you for an assessment for treatment.
Why are we sending you this letter?
Your medical records currently show that you may have a health condition which means that treatments might be suitable for you if you get COVID.
These treatments can reduce the chance of you getting seriously ill from COVID and need to be given quickly after you start to have symptoms.
You may have previously been told that the NHS would contact you about treatment once you report a positive COVID test. This will no longer be the case from 27 June.
From 1 October 2023, the way you access tests may change. You will be able to check https://www.nhs.uk/CoronavirusTreatments for more information closer to the time.
You can also now use tests purchased from a pharmacy or shop.
2. You should take a test if you have COVID symptoms
If you have COVID symptoms you should take a test immediately, even if your symptoms are mild.
If your test is negative but you continue to have symptoms, you should take another test on each of the next two days (three tests in total over three days).
You should report your test result where possible at https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result or by calling 119, using your NHS number and postcode. This will ensure your test result is visible to the NHS, to support referral and assessment.
You will not be able to report the result of a test purchased from a pharmacy or shop, but this will not affect your access to an assessment for treatment.
3. Contact the NHS as soon as possible if you test positive
From 27 June, if you test positive, you should contact your GP practice, NHS 111 or hospital specialist (if you have one) as soon as possible so that they can consider referring you for an assessment for treatment.
Somebody made the point via email that if you are in the UK and are on the vulnerable list you had better make sure you get a supply of lateral flow tests sent to you before the system closes at the end of the month.
That's a very good idea, I'll try get some lareral flow tests, they're expensive. Also, I just got the NHS email. I wasn't invited for most of the vaccines, but I managed to get most anyway. And I didn't get any food parcels. But I've been really careful, still am, and as far as I know I haven't had Covid. But it could happen, I realise, and I am immunocompromised from Alemtuzumab, so I'll try be prepared 👍
I am in Scotland but I have no doubt that this will follow suit up here soon.
May I ask for your opinion on this Prof G? Do you feel this is a wise decision? Personally, my own GP practice are currently overwhelmed and you struggle at best to get an appointment for something as pressing as an infection, which is why I don't have much hope for this working well. I hope to be wrong, of course!
Thanks for the info, Prof G! I haven't been sent that message (I'm rarely sent anything regarding Covid), and it's important to be armed with knowledge. The NHS is not remotely on my side; I have to do everything myself and fight for everything. It took me far too long to learn that, but I know it now.
Somebody made the point via email that if you are in the UK and are on the vulnerable list you had better make sure you get a supply of lateral flow tests sent to you before the system closes at the end of the month.
That's a very good idea, I'll try get some lareral flow tests, they're expensive. Also, I just got the NHS email. I wasn't invited for most of the vaccines, but I managed to get most anyway. And I didn't get any food parcels. But I've been really careful, still am, and as far as I know I haven't had Covid. But it could happen, I realise, and I am immunocompromised from Alemtuzumab, so I'll try be prepared 👍
FYI, for vulnerable people in the UK: I've managed to order a pack of NHS Covid tests online. So it's worth a doing, while they're still available.
I am in Scotland but I have no doubt that this will follow suit up here soon.
May I ask for your opinion on this Prof G? Do you feel this is a wise decision? Personally, my own GP practice are currently overwhelmed and you struggle at best to get an appointment for something as pressing as an infection, which is why I don't have much hope for this working well. I hope to be wrong, of course!
Many thanks.
I think it is telling us the pandemic is over and it is back to business for the country and the GPs. It is the way the NHS is designed to run.
Thanks for the info, Prof G! I haven't been sent that message (I'm rarely sent anything regarding Covid), and it's important to be armed with knowledge. The NHS is not remotely on my side; I have to do everything myself and fight for everything. It took me far too long to learn that, but I know it now.
So... any cov antivirals effective against ebv? 😆
I don't think so. They work on a coronavirus specific mechanism.
What about spironolactone?