Information on coronavirus (COVID-19) and Motor Neurone Disease (MND)
Information for people who attend NHS Lothian MND clinics at the Anne Rowling Clinic. Published Thursday 26th March 2020.
We are aware that many patients with MND and their families are concerned in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Patients with MND are at increased risk from infection with COVID-19 infection. We strongly recommend that you self-isolate for the foreseeable future. This means staying at home as much as possible, not going to work, not going to buy food or collect medicine (ask someone else to drop them off), not attending family gatherings and restricting who you come in contact with. This advice is to ensure you avoid the infection as much as possible.
If you are using non-invasive ventilation:
- Do not stop using this equipment, if your symptoms worsen contact the home ventilation team or your respiratory nurse
- Make sure your immediate area around you is cleaned at least twice a day with hot soapy water including washing down of door handles
- Stop and ask any carers coming into your home to remove outer clothing and to wash their hands with soap and hot water and to also do this on leaving your home
Any medications that you are presently taking should be unchanged unless otherwise advised by your doctor.
If you are developing COVID-19 symptoms
If you develop symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection (fever, persistent cough and/or shortness of breath) then please follow the advice on the NHS Inform website, in particular when to contact the NHS 111 service. You should not attend your GP in person but should telephone from home.
The COVID-19 situation is developing rapidly and we strongly recommend you check the following sources of information regularly. These sources are frequently updated.
Detailed advice can also be found on the following MND organisations' websites:
The Anne Rowling Clinic and telephone consultations
From Monday 23rd March, all appointments at the Anne Rowling Clinic will take place by telephone.
If you have an appointment at the Clinic from Monday 23rd March onwards, a member of the team will phone you at your allotted appointment time to carry out your consultation by telephone. Please do not come to the Clinic.
We are also experiencing a high number of telephone and email enquiries with lower than usual staff. So please help us, and other patients, by only contacting us with questions related to your neurological condition that you attend the Anne Rowling Clinic about and not any other medical enquiries. Thank you.
Telephone: 0131 465 9500 (NHS Lothian / Anne Rowling Clinic patients only)