There are many serious issues that are arising for those with allergies, asthma, anaphylaxis and serious, chronic health conditions during this global pandemic. One of them is the internal debate whether to go to the hospital (Emerg) in the event of a medical emergency. The fear of Covid is causing people not to seek emergency medical care or making them very nervous to do so. It is SO IMPORTANT to get prompt medical care in the event of anaphylaxis or a severe allergic or asthmatic episode. 

In this episode, I chat with That Allergic Girl , Kasia Kalinowska, a young person living in New York during the pandemic who experienced a severe allergic reaction and did not go to Emerg. out of fear of the Coronavirus. She wrote about her experience in an article entitled: Gambling on an Allergic Reaction in a Pandemic and shared via social media which is how I came across her story. I speak to her in this episode to discuss the thought process behind that decision and what she has learned from the experience…and most importantly what she would do if (heaven forbid) it happened again in the future – spoiler alert: SHE WOULD GO!

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• Kasia’s experience with a severe allergic reaction from eating a contaminated sushi roll and her decision NOT to seek emergency medical care
• Her multiple food allergies and how those have affected her throughout her life
• FARE‘s newly released Protocol for Acute At Home Management of Anaphylaxis During the Covid-19 Pandemic
• The importance of administering epinephrine and seeking emergency medical care immediately when experiencing a reaction
• The reality of the panic of the moment and that you should mentally prepare yourself beforehand with a plan of the best course of action so that you can ensure you react accordingly in the heat of the moment during a reaction
• What allergy life is like for tweens, teens and young adults – a frightening stage for allergy moms as children in those age groups tend to engage in more risky behaviour – Kasia speaks to her experiences through these ages and stages and how she survived!

Key Takeaways:

1. The importance of administering epinephrine right away if you’re having a reaction and going to EMERGENCY – EVEN IN A PANDEMIC! “Patients should be empowered to activate emergency medical services (EMS) if they feel concerns or feel urgent care is needed after epinephrine use” Source: (Acute At Home Management of Anaphylaxis During the Covid-19 Pandemic – Protocol)
2. Eating out with food allergies – knowing that cross-contamination is real and possible and does happen.
3. The benefit of creating an anaphylaxis emergency plan and using it in the panic of the moment of a reaction.

That is Episode 4! Thanks for listening! I will be sharing more Covid-related podcast episodes as we go through this pandemic. Be on the look out for the next one where I interview Jon Terry of The Allergy Advocacy Association and how his organization and others, including FARE are working fervently to address food labelling safety during the pandemic.