COVID-19 treatment – how to get advice and any necessary treatment in UK

Introduction

If you are taking corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressant treatment, you need to know what to do if you live in UK, become unwell and think you may have COVID-19.

The instructions on how to get advice and any necessary treatment for COVID-19 are slightly different depending on whether you live in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Links to each country’s websites are given below.

Each of the UK countries’ instructions includes lists of people who are considered to be at highest risk if they get COVID-19. Check your country’s list.

Be prepared! Read your UK country’s instructions in advance, get advice from your GP, and get advice from your eye team so that you know what to do and who to contact if you think you may have caught COVID-19.

General advice

Keep a supply of rapid lateral flow tests at home. Check the expiry dates regularly. The instructions for each UK country explain how to obtain rapid lateral flow test kits. These test kits may be free if you meet certain conditions, or you can buy them at a pharmacy or supermarket.

• If your rapid lateral flow test is positive, then you need to get medical advice as soon as possible. Links are given below.

• Before you contact your UK country’s service for advice, have by you a list of all the medicines you take, their strengths, doses and how many times a day you take them, including medicines bought over the counter, supplements, vitamins and herbal medicines. This is because certain medicines used for treating COVID-19 can interact with several other medicines.

• You will be asked questions about your general health and any other conditions you may have besides birdshot, as well as being asked about your current symptoms.

• Explain that you are taking corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressants for the non-infectious posterior uveitis called birdshot uveitis.

• If you do require antiviral treatment for COVID-19, the person you speak to should explain how it is obtained.

• Be aware that you could be told that you may not need antiviral treatment for your COVID-19. Not everybody does – it depends on your individual level of risk as assessed by the person advising you.

England

Note: the COVID-19 treatments information service for England is no longer centralised. It has been devolved to local NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). NHS 111 may not be able to advise you directly. The website below has basic information, but you are strongly advised to find out in advance from your own GP what the procedure is where you live – who to contact 24/7 if you test positive for COVID-19, plus how and where to obtain any necessary medicines: not many pharmacies stock them.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/treatments-for-covid-19