COVID up-date – January 2021

Following the announcement of a national Welsh lockdown on 19 December, and advice for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to not attend work or school outside of their homes, some positive news followed in the New Year with the approval of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

The Welsh Minister for Health and Social Services published a statement on New Years Day to confirm that the four UK Chief Medical Officers have agreed to prioritise first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines to as many people in at-risk groups their first dose, rather than providing two doses in as short a time as possible.  The four CMOs agree that at this stage of the pandemic prioritising the first doses of vaccine for as many people as possible on the priority list will protect the greatest number of at risk people overall in the shortest possible time. 

As we wait for the vaccines to be rolled out, people who are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) should have received a letter from the Chief Medical Officer with the latest guidance to stay at home because the risk of exposure to the virus is significant. People with kidney disease who are classified as clinically extremely vulnerable include all transplant recipients, dialysis patients, all with Stage five kidney disease, those with some autoimmune conditions, and if you over 70 and are on any form of immunosuppression or have been on one in the past.

See full list here: https://www.kidneycareuk.org/news-and-campaigns/coronavirus-advice/#selfisolate

Download a copy of the CMO letter (December 2020)

Cymraeg

If you cannot work from home, then you should not attend work. This is particularly the case for those whose work requires them to be in regular or sustained contact with other people, or where individuals share a poorly ventilated workspace for long periods.

You may want to speak to your employer about taking on an alternative role to enable you to work from home if possible.

If you cannot make alternative arrangements, your employer may be able to furlough you under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which has been extended until the end of April 2021. You should have a conversation with your employer about whether this is possible.

Please contact the Kidney Wales team if you would like to discuss any questions or concerns: [email protected]; 029 2034 3490