To the best of my knowledge coeliac disease does not carry any additional risks to;-

1. Picking up corona virus, or 
2. Suffering from it, if you were unfortunate enough to contract it.

This is also the case for those patients with coeliac disease and hyposplenism. 

I have recently heard of some patients receiving letters stating;-

“NHS Coronavirus Service: Your condition means you are at high risk of severe illness if you catch Coronavirus. Please remain at home for 12 weeks unless a healthcare professional tells you to leave. You will get a letter from the NHS to confirm this.” This is called shielding.

It is possible these people may have received these letters for other medical reasons, rather than this being specifically due to their coeliac disease. 1 in 100 people in UK are believed to have coeliac disease so some may have received these letters if they have other associated immunodeficiencies or are taking immunomodulator therapy for other conditions

Presently I would therefore continue to advise you on (stringent) social distancing. The latest government advice is that we should all stay at home and only go outside when it is essential. This advice applies to everyone, whether or not you have coeliac disease.  

Until things change I would recommend following the Coeliac UK guidance and advice provided by Government contained in the link below.  

https://www.coeliac.org.uk/information-and-support/coeliac-disease-and-coronavirus-covid-19/

In essence this states; – ” The government has also provided advice on shielding for people defined as extremely vulnerable from COVID-19. People with coeliac disease (including those who have problems with their spleen) who have no other health conditions do not fall into this category. If you fall into this category you should receive a letter by Sunday 29 March 2020. The Government website has more information on shielding.”

Keep safe 

Dr. Matt W. Johnson. BSc MB BS FRCP MD

“In case you missed it in our February newsletter, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced their decision to retain access to gluten free bread and flour mixes on prescription. If you missed the announcement, you can read more on our website at www.coeliac.org.uk/nationalconsultation.

While the decision has been announced by the DHSC, the regulations which will change the availability of foods on prescription in England still needs to be developed. This process is likely to take some time and Coeliac UK will be involved in developing the regulations to make sure that they meet the needs of people with coeliac disease. We will keep you informed as we learn more about the introduction of this regulation.

Since the decision was announced, we have been in contact with all clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England where access to gluten free food on prescription has been withdrawn, or where local consultations have been held. CCGs are autonomous and do not have to follow the national decision which has been announced by the DHSC. However, this national decision makes restrictive policies much more difficult to justify and we have asked for details of their plans to review their local policies. Some CCGs may wait until the final regulations are developed before reviewing their policies, while others may carry out reviews sooner. We will keep members updated as we hear back from individual CCGs.”

Take a look at the link below of further details

https://www.coeliac.org.uk/get-involved/awareness-week-2016-is-it-coeliac-disease/download-your-awareness-week-pack/