Going outside during the COVID-19 pandemic

Laryngectomee may experience social and medical challenges when they leave their home during the COVID-19 pandemics. Most non-neck breathers do not understand or recognize their medical condition and may react in a negative way toward them. They may be alarmed when the laryngectomee coughs or sneezes, or take care of their stoma in public.

Included are some of the steps that laryngectomees can take when in public:

• Cleaning the stoma and trachea including inserting saline into the trachea and coughing out the secretions before going out
• Taking care of the stoma and it’s secretions at a private location away from others (e.g., bathroom, separate room)
• Covering the stoma (with napkin, cloth or elbow) whenever coughing or sneezing. Preferably this is done away from other people. When coughing forcefully the stoma can produce large amount of droplets that can spread and infect others when the laryngectomee carries a respiratory virus such as COVID-19
• Keeping a distance of at least 6 feet (2 meters) from others
• A useful routine is to use the non-dominant hand to touch the stoma and the dominant hand for other activities (e.g., touching a door handle).
• Wearing a surgical mask or garment over the mouth and nose (in addition another one over the stoma). This is done to protect the laryngectomee from becoming infected, as well as others the laryngectomee is infected. Wearing a mask over the mouth and nose in public prevent the laryngectomee from standing out from others. Wearing the mask on the stoma and face also serves in preventing laryngectomees from touching these locations with unclean hands.

Hopefully these measures can assist laryngectomees in public locations.

As home confinement and other restrictions are being slowly lifted, it would be prudent for laryngectomees to continue to observe these precautionary measures. As more clinical experience in managing COVID-19 infection is gained and new medications and  vaccines are available the consequences of becoming infected may become less dangerous.