Virus poses real risk for Tipp people with Cystic Fibrosis

For the 65 people in Tipperary living with Cystic Fibrosis like Nenagh mother Carol McGrath, the coronavirus poses a real risk to their lives.
"These are scary times out there. It's worrying times for everyone, but people in the CF community are terrified. This virus doesn't care what race you are; it has no boundaries," says Carol.
She says she was very scared for her own health from the day news broke of the first case of the deadly virus in Ireland.
"On the week before Saint Patrick's Day I got a call from my CF nurse suggesting that I work from home and self-isolate," says the 42-year-old mother of a daughter, Abigail, aged 11.
Carol, who works in the Revenue offices in Gortlandroe, broached the subject with her manager who, she says, was totally supportive.
"My manager said 'absolutely go home and we can sort out work for you from home and do whatever you have to do'."
Carol then contacted Carrig National School where her daugher attends to explain that she had to self-isolate and could not risk her life on having her child continue attending and gamble on bringing home the virus.
"The school too - before it had to close anyway - were very supportive and said that taking Abigail home was the right thing to do," says Carol.
Ensuring that she reduce the risk of contracting the virus to the absolute minimum also meant that her husband Nigel, an engineer working with a company in Limerick, also had to get permission from his employers to work from home.
"Potentially, if I or somebody like me with Cystic Fibrosis got Covid-19 it could kill us," says Carol, who is now long ensconced with her husband and daughter in the relative safety of their family home at Carhue, Ballycommon.
"At the moment I am not worried because I am in my bubble at home and I feel safe," says Carol.
She added: "But before I left work to go home I was extremely worried. It was like doing the ordinary every day things, like going to the shop or heading out for lunch, felt like living on the edge."
Now, as one of those categorised in the "at-risk" groups, the big emphasis at home is on trying to maintain an environment that keeps the virus at bay.
"That means Nigel has taken control of all the shopping and we are both cleaning door handles and everything. Nigel is really careful, he wears gloves a lot of the time and is taking all precautions."
Carol becomes animated when she talks about how all her neighbours have rallied around to protect her. "Oh my God, they are being superb, and they always have been. But now we get messages from them saying 'we are going into town, can we bring ye anything home'. One neighbour even dropped us down brownies the other day and a teacher who lives up the road is also helping with Abigail's home schooling. They are all just brilliant."
Carol says that in some ways her life is lovely now. "Myself and Abigail have been making cupcakes, things she wanted to do for ages, but I did not have time for baking with her.
"And the other lovely thing is that we now have time to go off for nice walks with the dogs. I would not have had that quality time before with Abigail prior to this. We are getting to do nice things together, which is lovely.
"We are doing the normal things, but life is not normal, unfortunately. It's a different kind of normal. If feels surreal that all this is going on in the world and so many people are dying.
"The fact is that no one knows how long for sure this is going to last. It does make me a little anxious, but for now I am just trying to take one day at a time."
One thing that has really impressed Carol is the way the often maligned health system has supported her at this time. "The people in the Cystic Fibrosis Unit at Limerick University Hospital are just amazing," she says. "I got a call from my CF nurse yesterday to make sure I was managing ok, and the psychologist on the team is checking in with me on an ongoing basis to make sure I am coping and that my mental health is ok. I think they are really doing a great job at UHL. I could not fault them one bit."
Despite having to be hospitalised in January, Carol says her current state of health is very good. "I'm absolutely flying now, and having returned to the world of work two years ago I'm absolutely loving it."
Part of the work of the TLC4CF, the advocacy group for people living with Cystic Fibrosis in counties Tipperary, Limerick and Clare is to support people like Carol through the current crisis, including the 40 adults and 15 children living with the condition throughout Tipperary.
Liz Jacques, Development Officer with the group, says now is a particularly tough time for those with CF like Carol.
"I have been ringing everybody in our CF community just to see how they are doing and making sure everybody is supported," Ms Jacques tells The Guardian.
"As an at-risk group, most of the people I have been speaking to have been self-isolating for weeks now, since the first case was known in Ireland."