COVID-19 and Transplant Patients

@almula, I am happy that you are doing well with your liver transplant. It is good to hear from you. We have a transplant discussion that I want to share with you. I look forward to your post!
Are you one of the 20,000 transplants performed at Mayo Rochester?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/are-you-one-of-the-20000-transplants-performed-at-mayo-rochester/

I am not a transplant recipient, but one of our closest friends is on the liver transplant list at Mayo in Minnesota. He has cholangiocarcinoma (malignant tumor in the liver) and has been through so much over the past year. The tumor is stable, no change, and no mets. He will stay in Rochester as he awaits the transplant. I am writing this because I pray for him and his wife every day. He spent his professional life as a neonatologist and I think of all the babies he saved and families he worked with over the years. I know he is in self-isolation at home right now until he flies to Minnesota again. Every one of you or your loved ones, as transplant recipients, must be more vigilant. No one of you is overdoing it. Not at all. It's a blessing that you can all provide validation to one another here on Mayo Connect.

i did my transplant in 2018 in Rochester mayo clinic..

@almula I am grateful that you are doing well with your transplant. 20,000 transplants at Mayo Rochester? No wonder our friend's medical team at UC San Francisco sent him to Mayo.

Rosemary, should you put take out food in microwave before eating?

@livertrex I would definitely not go to anything like church or a group meeting. It is too difficult in those settings to maintain that 6’ distance from other people. I am 3.5 years post-transplant and the only thing I am allowing myself is grocery shopping at non-busy hours. I was there at 7:00 this morning when they had just opened.
JK

Thanks, my opinion of this issue is changing. I am pretty protected in my small community, but I would hate to be the person that my get it and pass it on with out knowing.

Excellent question, @livertrex,. My best guess (and my practice) is to use the same food safety practices that I routinely use, and have used since my transplant in 2009.
My son, a restaurant GM tells me that the restaurants are under strict codes for food preparation safety. My own opinion is that I would select the same reputable restaurants as I would use during the average year, As far as microwaving - probably only if/when I don't eat the food within the recommended safe time .

Here is some information from the FDA about -Food Safety for Transplant Recipients. I have pasted here only the information that relates to your question. ....." If you plan to get a “doggy bag” or save leftovers to eat at a later time, refrigerate perishable foods as soon as possible—and always within 2 hours after purchase or delivery. If the leftover food is in air temperatures above 90 °F, refrigerate it within 1 hour."

You can also go to the following link to learn more.
https://www.fda.gov/food/people-risk-foodborne-illness/food-safety-transplant-recipients

Be safe and enjoy,

My husband is a kidney transplant patient, receiving his kidney 10/1/2016. Just yesterday some of his co-workers came to him and asked why he was still there, not working from home. He went to the vice-president of the company, who sent him home. First he got software and permissions for installing company software on his personal computer, and the IT unit created a new drive that he and others will access for joint projects. He is about three weeks away from retiring after a 40 year career at the same company. He will go in tonight to get some equipment to bring home and work on, then return it on Saturday and work all day with fewer people there. The biggest obstacle for him will be lack of people contact face-to-face, as he is very much a people person.
Ginger

@gingerw
This sounds like the perfect solution! No wonder he stayed with the company for 40 years if this is how considerate they are of their employees. I bet you are greatly relieved too!