COVID-19 is the disease caused by the new coronavirus that arouse at the end of 2019 and which may cause mild and severe infection of the lungs. Similarly to other viruses, it may lead to the development of more severe infections in patients with a weakened immune system, as it is the case of patients undergoing treatment for oncologic disease. However, in the case of COVID-19, infections are, sometimes, more serious than those caused by other viruses. There is yet no vaccine to help control the propagation of the disease. If you are undergoing treatment for oncologic disease, it is very important that you adopt additional precautions to those applicable to all of us. Follow these recommendations of Hospital da Luz oncologists. Siga estas recomendações dos oncologistas do Hospital da Luz. What precautions should I take to avoid risks? COVID-19 can spread quite easily from person to person, such as a flu or a cold. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, releases droplets of secretion than can reach the eyes, nose or mouth of people close by, contaminating them. Also, when we touch with our hands on contaminated surfaces, where those droplets fell (for instance, doors, objects, among others), and then we touch the eyes, nose or mouth, we can also get infected. Therefore, the precautions that everyone should take are: Wash your hands frequently with water and soap, during at least 20 seconds, or with an alcohol-based solution of 60% or more; Wash your hands every time you blow your nose, sneeze, cough or after contacting with other people, or every time you touch objects and surfaces potentially contaminated; Avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth, without washing your hands first; Do not share personal objects or food; Clean and disinfect surfaces frequently, namely, door knobs, keyboards, phones and switches; Avoid physical contact as much as possible (for instance, hugs, handshakes, among others); Stay at home whenever possible and avoid face to face social contacts; Keep away from other people whenever you have to go out, for instance, to go to the supermarket, the drugstore, hospital); Keep away from people with cough or other respiratory symptoms; Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing, with a paper tissue or with the forearm, never with the hands, and throw the used paper tissue in the garbage. And what additional precautions should you take, if you are undergoing treatment for oncologic disease? If you are undergoing active treatment (chemotherapy, immunotherapy or immunosuppressant), besides the measures of protection that are common to the general population, you should also: Use a mask whenever you have to go to the hospital, drugstore or other place. Even wearing a mask, you should maintain a safe distance to other persons and do not touch the exterior side of the mask; Wash or disinfect your hands immediately before putting on the mask and after removing it; The mask cannot be reused. Contact your attending physician, nurse or service of oncology by phone, before going to the hospital, if you have the following symptoms: Fever (temperature above 37.5ºC); Cough; Respiratory difficulty (shortness of breath); If you had contact with someone with COVID-19. During the period you are in the oncology service of Hospital da Luz, avoid being in the waiting room: If you can wait for the results of analyses, consultation or for the start of treatment in your individual means of transport, we will alert you by phone when the time has come; Whenever possible avoid bringing company. Your treatments should not be interrupted without medical indication. However, your oncologist may consider to adapt the regimen of treatment or even suspend it, if the disease is under control and the benefit of maintaining treatment is lesser than the risk of contracting COVID-19. Follow-up consultations will be cancelled? If you are under surveillance and without symptoms, it is possible that your doctor proposes to do a video consultation or a teleconsultation, in alternative to face to face consultation, to avoid trips to the hospital, and thus reduce the risk of infection. In case the scheduling is maintained, be prepared to observe different routines, associated with the different contingency plans and prophylactic distancing. Also count with the possibility of having a consultation ensured at the last minute by a different physician of the same speciality. If you are a patient of the Oncology Centre from Hospital da Luz Lisboa, consult here the reorganization of the service, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemics Information prepared by the team from Centro de Oncologia do Hospital da Luz Lisboa Click here for more information and advice of Hospital da Luz about the novel coronavírus COVID-19 epidemic . The content published in the Health Guide is intended for the general public and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not replace individual medical assessment, diagnosis, or personalized clinical advice from a qualified healthcare professional. The content is produced or reviewed by physicians and other healthcare professionals at Hospital da Luz and is based on the knowledge available at the time of publication or the most recent update, as indicated at the beginning of each item.
