COVID-19 Updates - Motor Neurone Disease New Zealand

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COVID-19 Updates

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a type of coronavirus.

There are simple steps you can take to protect you and your family/whānau:

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
Use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in a bin. If you don’t have a tissue, use your sleeve.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

The symptoms of COVID-19 are:

There are new criteria for checking if a person has COVID-19. As long as you have symptoms, you should be assessed by your health professional:

•Fever –this is when you are really hot and have a temperature of 38 degrees or more
• A cough that is new or one that has been getting worse over a few days.
• Shortness of breath or change in your usual breathing pattern for people with MND
• Sore throat
• Sneezing and runny nose
•Temporary loss of smell and/ or taste

These symptoms do not necessarily mean you have COVID-19. The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu.

If you or anyone in your household have these symptoms, please telephone Healthline (for free) on 0800 358 5453 or your doctor immediately.

If you are struggling to breathe please get medical help urgently by calling 111.

More information, including regular updates and advice for people with disabilities and their carers is available on the Ministry of Health website.

MND and COVID-19

General advice that you and your family should be following

People living with MND often have a harder time with swallowing, breathing and coughing due to muscle weakness and are therefore at risk of developing serious complications if they contract COVID-19, regardless of age. Every precaution should therefore be taken to prevent you and the people in your household from becoming infected with COVID-19.

Continue to take usual medications in the same manner as you normally would unless you are advised by your Doctor
Aim to have at least one month's supply of all medications you take on hand. Pharmacists are currently limited to providing one months supply of medication, however exceptions can be made for those either living rurally or for whom accessing regular refills is difficult
Stay home except to get medical care that cannot be provided by telehealth. MND clinical appointments are being conducted via phone and video conferencing at the moment
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as doorknobs
If you’re concerned about what will happen if a paid caregiver becomes sick, talk to your service provider to find out what will happen in this instance
If you have specific questions about your personal situation, please contact your support team member or health care professional
If you are using non-invasive ventilation (NIV), review the information provided by your respiratory team and contact them to discuss any concerns

The Ministry of Health has put together a website specifically for disabled people and their families. Click here to access it.

Information for Caregivers

It is important that as a carer you have a plan so that someone else is able to provide care for your loved one if you fall ill, or need to self-isolate.

Think about who could step in should you need help. It is essential that this person is also taking the same precautions to avoid exposure to COVID-19 as you yourself are taking.

Write down detailed instructions of how you do things to provide this care so that the person with MND feels confident that their care will continue in the same way and others feel confident to perform these cares.

List the names and doses of medications.

List the names and contact details for healthcare providers – GP, pharmacy, hospice nurse, NIV contact person, SLT, OT, support team member, NASC coordinator, Talklink etc.

Keep your environment clean using disinfectants. Ask all those entering your house to wash their hands using sanitiser before they enter.

Use technology to keep in contact with family, friends and your community. Remember that your MND support team member is available for support through phone calls, texts, email, video calls etc.

The Ministry of Health website also contains information for community care providers including the appropriate use of PPE, available here

New Zealand Government response to COVID-19

On Saturday 21st March, the New Zealand Government introduced a 4 tier Alert Level system, aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19, quickly moving through Alert Levels to a full lockdown.

New Zealand is currently operating at Alert Level 1.

General information about alert levels and the New Zealand Government's response can be found here : https://covid19.govt.nz/

Getting disability support during COVID-19

For information about getting disability support during COVID-19 see Getting disability support.

Temporary changes introduced by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD)

MSD has made some temporary changes to documents required as part of the COVID-19 response. An overview of the changes is available in our blog article here

Our Services - MND New Zealand

During Alert Levels 3 and 4, all MND New Zealand team members will work from home.

At Alert Level 2, national office is open and all team members can be contacted here.

Support team members are unable to conduct home visits at Alert levels 3 and 4. Support can still be provided via phone, email, text or video call. Home visits are considered on a case-by-case basis under Alert level 2 if support cannot be provided by any other means. Please contact your nearest support team member here.

MND New Zealand services will resume full face-to-face services under Alert Level 1.

We are still here. MND doesn't stop, so neither will we. If you need support or have a general enquiry, please get in touch today.

MND New Zealand is a registered charity, reliant on donations from the public.

Donate here to help enable MND New Zealand to continue our vital work, supporting people living with this devastating disease today, and those who are sadly yet to be diagnosed in the future.