Dear Friend,
Our society is facing an unprecedented health challenge with the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic that has now traveled to most countries. Many families are already following the important guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from other health authorities around the world. Many places have already instigated important measures of containment. We are all going through changes to our daily lives resulting from the coronavirus – closed schools; altered work routines; cancelled meetings, conferences, and travel plans; and more. As we all adjust to these changes, we still have many unanswered questions.In particular, we are worried about extra risks for our loved ones with Down syndrome, both children and adults, and we wonder if what we read is accurate information and applies to Down syndrome.
At LuMind IDSC, we care deeply about the safety of your loved one with Down syndrome and are committed to providing you frequent coronavirus updates that are evidence-based and relevant, and whenever possible, specific for Down syndrome:
- We have assembled a COVID-19 Resource page on our website with the most relevant and current information from a variety of sources. Visit and bookmark this page to view an overview of facts about coronavirus and Down syndrome from Dr. Jim Hendrix, our Chief Scientific Officer;
- On social media, follow the hashtag #T21COVID, used by LuMind IDSC and our fellow DS organizations to post updates, news, closures and cancellations, and all coronavirus information for our community;
- Also, we are collaborating with leaders of the National Task Group, American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry, and several other Down syndrome organizations create a Down syndrome-specific coronavirus Q&A that we will share with you as soon as it is available.
We are here to support you in this difficult journey and it is important that we stand together as a community in these challenging times. We look forward to celebrating World Down syndrome Day with you in a week! Please stay safe, wash your hands frequently, and avoid unnecessary risks of exposure.
On behalf of the LuMind IDSC Team, I wish you a good weekend!
Warm regards,
Hampus Hillerstrom
Chief Executive Officer
LuMind IDSC Foundation