The PHAC recommends that we all practice every day preventive behaviours such as: stay home when you are sick, cover coughs and sneezes, wash hands frequently with soap and water, avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth, and keep surfaces that you touch frequently clean.

Older adults and those with underlying health conditions, such as chronic kidney disease appear to be at a higher risk of complications if they become ill with COVID-19. Anyone at a higher risk, such as transplant recipients, should take extra precaution to avoid crowds and reduce the risk of being exposed to the virus.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3-5 have been defined as being at an increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus. PHAC recommends that everyone take social distancing measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

• If you develop symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing) contact your health provider.
• If you have traveled to an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19 or you have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, contact your health provider.
• If you have underlying health conditions or are immunocompromised, contact your health provider at the onset of symptoms, even if the symptoms are mild.
• If you are experiencing severe symptoms, contact your health care provider or emergency room immediately.
• Your doctor must determine if you have signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and whether or not you should be tested.

PHAC recommends that you seek medical advice if you develop symptoms, have been in close contact with someone that has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or if you have been in an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19. You can also use PHAC’s self assessment tool here.

Watch for symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath in those living with you. If symptoms appear, isolate yourself for 14 days from that person. If you are elderly or have a higher risk from COVID-19, leave your home and stay with friends or family until the 14 days have ended. If it’s not possible for you to move out temporarily, stay away from others in the house as much as you can. This includes:

• Spend as little time as possible in shared spaces such as kitchens, bathrooms and sitting areas, and keep shared spaces well ventilated.
• Aim to keep 6 feet away from others and sleep in a different bed where possible.
• Use a separate bathroom if you can and use separate towels for drying after bathing, showering and washing your hands.
• If you do share a toilet and bathroom, others should clean it after use. After each cleaning, you should be the first to use it.
• Don’t use the kitchen when others are in it and take your food to your room to eat.
• If you have one, use a dishwasher. If you’re using your own utensils, dry them with a separate tea towel.

In general, you should call your child’s doctor for the same reasons you would normally. Bringing your child to an ER or urgent care to get tested or for minor symptoms is currently not recommended since many sites are not offering testing and there is a risk of exposure to COVID-19 and other serious infections. Consider calling your child’s doctor and ask about getting your child tested if they have:

• Respiratory symptoms beyond a mild cough: difficulty breathing, rapid or deep breathing, or a severe cough
• Shortness of breath from continued coughing
• Refusing liquids with decreased urine frequency
• Crying without ability to be consoled
• Fever that is not responsive to fever reducing medications
• Behavior that is not normal for your child

Community spread means that people living in specific communities are testing positive for the virus and this includes individuals that are not sure how they became infected.

To stay up to date on how COVID-19 is spreading in your local community, visit your state and local health department websites.

If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, contact your physician’s office before going in so that the team can be ready to care for you and to protect staff and other patients. If you have routine medical or dental appointments, contact your health care team before deciding to cancel your appointment. All necessary appointments and treatments should be kept unless your doctor advises that you reschedule.

PHAC does not recommend that individuals wear a mask in public to protect themselves from COVID-19.

You should wear a mask if you are sick and need to be in public or are going into a medical provider’s office or if you are caring for someone that is sick. Please do not hoard face masks if you do not need them as many hospitals are experiencing a shortage.

Learn more about when and how to wear a mask properly from the World Health Organization (WHO).

If you are currently on dialysis, you should not miss a treatment. If you are feeling sick, notify your healthcare team immediately.

The Canadian Society of Nephrology has recently released a list of contingency plans from national healthcare providers to ensure necessary precautions are taken to keep patients safe and to prevent the spread of COVID-19

The Canadian Society of Transplantation is recommending that those at higher risk of getting sick should stock up on supplies, take precaution to keep space between yourself and others, avoid crowds as much as possible, be aware of COVID-19 outbreaks in your community and stay home to reduce your risk of being exposed. Visit this link for additional resources related to COVID-19 and organ donation.

If you are feeling sick and experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, contact your health care team immediately.

Transplantations are considered an essential surgery which can be performed safely if a hospital feels they have the staff and resources available. Please contact your transplant centre to confirm.

There is no evidence to suggest that living kidney donors would be at any higher risk than the general public of catching the virus and there should be no reason to expect donors to be at a higher risk of more severe illness if they do become ill with the virus.

Clinical trials and other research studies may slow or pause for the near future. Health Canada announced their support of changes to study schedules, clinic visits and other forms of participation to protect the safety of participants. If you’re in a research study, contact your study team to find out how COVID-19 may impact your next study visit. Research done online or over the phone is not expected to be impacted.

Basic research labs (non-human studies) at many universities in Canada are temporarily halting research and closing due to concerns over the safety of the research staff. This may delay the work and ultimate results of PKDFOC-funded research studies.