Encephalitis Podcast - COVID-19 and Encephalitis

A podcast about COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and encephalitis.

Our panel of experts - Dr Ava Easton, Professor Tom Solomon and Dr Lance Turtle - answer your questions about coronavirus and encephalitis.

A run down of the questions can be found below.

Ava's Twitter: https://twitter.com/encephalitisava
Lance's Twitter: https://twitter.com/LanceTurtle
Tom's Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningMadProf

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2m 41s - COVID-19 is a coronavirus – but what is that and why is this spreading so much faster than other everyday viruses that cause coughs and colds?

3m 59s - Our family is affected by encephalitis at the moment and we need to go to our local hospital for further tests however that hospital has cases of coronavirus there. Should we still attend?

5m 48s - I had viral encephalitis in the past.  Am I more likely to catch COVID-19 or be at risk if I do catch it?

6m 24s - My daughter was nine months old when she had a herpes simplex viral encephalitis. She is now six and still on medication for epilepsy as well as a daily dose of antivirals to keep recurring cold sores at bay. She also had pneumonia one-and-a-half years ago. Is she more at risk from COVID-19 than a child without prior health problems?

8m 55s Does encephalitis fall under the “underlying medical condition” the experts talk about? Does it mean I am in the “vulnerable persons” category?  I'm not sure how careful people who have had encephalitis need to be.

10m 37s Can you get encephalitis from COVID-19? We recently read of a patient In China whose CSF or cerebro spinal fluid had tested positive for COVID-19. Does this mean he had encephalitis?

11m 35s - Given it's possible to contract autoimmune types of encephalitis after surviving some viral types of encephalitis does this risk increase if infected by the COVID-19 virus?

14m 23s – The questioner in this case had their immuno suppression treatment some time ago. There is some confusion in people's minds, they don’t know if that means they still have immune systems of concern.

16m 12s - Some people are concerned that during and/or post treatment for autoimmune encephalitis they have depleted b cells – what does this mean for catching COVID-19 and is there anything they should do?

17m 15s - For those who have made a full recovery from autoimmune encephalitis – are they still considered immune compromised and more vulnerable to COVID-19?

17m 38s - My family member is still recovering from autoimmune encephalitis and receiving some immunosuppressants. What are the risks to them in this current outbreak and what precautions should we be taking as we are frightened we are a risk to them?

19m 39s - My daughter had an autoimmune encephalitis in October and now has a diagnosis of mog antibody disorder - what is your advice?

22m 53s – Are there any websites you would recommend for advice about COVID-19?

24m 09s - My daughter is 4 years post diagnosis and has been off rituximab and steroids for a year however she is currently taking Imuran, doesn't have any B cells, and is on IVIG. What is her risk and is her immune system able to handle something of this nature?

25m 53s - I have read that the government are now saying that increased risk from severe illness from the virus includes "chronic neurological conditions," would this include viral or autoimmune encephalitis?

27m 18s - If I get COVID-19 what medications should I take and is there anything else you can suggest to help get through it?

31m 21s – Do we need a vaccine for COVID-19? If so, how far away are we from seeing a vaccine that can be used in human population?

34m 22s – Is there anything else you would like to add?

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Видео Encephalitis Podcast - COVID-19 and Encephalitis канала Encephalitis International