01/06/2020
For people in the UK
UK centric
Latest advice regarding shielding from The Lily Foundation.
All Lily Families
Please find below the latest guidance on shielding for patients with mitochondrial disease
Patients currently shielding should continue to do so until 30th June unless otherwise advised by their doctor. The rules on shielding were relaxed slightly on 31st May to allow some time outside (although this should be kept to a minimum and only if safe social distancing can be maintained.) Updated shielding guidelines can be found here. [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19)
We recommend that children currently shielding should not return to school and that adults currently shielding should not return to work. (Government letters should provide adequate evidence of status).
Where possible, we recommend siblings of shielded children & children of shielded adults should not return to school before 30th June in order to minimise risk to their vulnerable family member.
Parents of shielded children & partners/parents of shielded adults should appeal to their employer to remain on furlough where possible, request that they work from home, or ask to be redeployed to a low risk role, in order to minimise risk to their vulnerable family member. Where employer's insist on a return to the workplace, they must demonstrate they have followed the [government guidance on working safely](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/5-steps-to-working-safely) to minimise the risk to their employee, which in turn will reduce risk to their vulnerable family member.
In situations where members of shielded households return to the workplace or school, we recommend thorough decontamination prior to returning to the home. Where possible this should be done on leaving the workplace/school, otherwise at home, but before coming into contact with other family members. (We can provide further guidance on this if requested.)
If you have received a letter or text advising that you are no longer required to shield and you feel concerned about this, you should contact your GP or mitochondrial specialist for specific advice.
Currently we can only provide guidance up to 30th June, but please be assured that the Lily Foundation and the HSS are working together with other key stakeholders to provide specific guidance to the mitochondrial disease community as soon as new information comes into the public domain.
Many thanks
The Lily Team
--
Liz Curtis
The Lily Foundation
Founder and CEO
📷
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