A message from the GI Team for CLDI families:

Given current knowledge about COVID-19 disease in children it is now difficult to justify cocooning in most children with underlying conditions. The most recent worldwide data suggests children with underlying medical conditions have recovered from COVID-19 no different to a child with no underlying condition. This would include our cohort of patients that have liver disease.  There is a very small number of children who fall into an at risk group, for instance a child who has had recent transplant and children on high dose steroids i.e. >20mg. We would be closely linked with these specific patients with advice related to Covid-19.

As schools reopen and preventive measures are being put in place, excluding a child from school for prolonged periods is not in their best interest and may outweigh the potential risk of infection. We are not suggesting or requesting any extra precautions on top of those already being undertaken by schools for our liver patients. We are more than happy for this information to be shared with schools with the hope of reassuring them that these children are to be treated the same as their peers. This advice is constantly being reviewed as the situation develops and new information comes to light but for now the GI team are advising our patients with liver disease to return to school as planned.

The guidelines from consultants between CHI Crumlin and Temple Street in relation to “Medically Vulnerable Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic” has now also been published on the HSE site and can be found at the link below:

https://hse.drsteevenslibrary.ie/c.php?g=679077&p=4885072

If there are any further concerns to please contact us through the normal methods.

The GI Team