Ehlers-Danlos Society Holds Online COVID-19 Support Sessions

The Ehlers-Danlos Society is offering a series of virtual events for community members to express concerns, ask questions, and address practical challenges during the global COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak.

The free, hour-long digital support meetings will run on the Zoom teleconferencing platform. Each chat session is limited to 100 people, on a first come, first served basis.

“We know members of our community are feeling overwhelmed with the current situation with COVID-19 [Coronavirus],” the organization said. “It may seem a daunting time, and it is important to look after our emotional and mental health.”

The online events are in addition to the nonprofit’s regular virtual support groups, helpline, and webinars. They provide space where community members around the world may chat with each other and society representatives.

There’s usually no need to download Zoom; the meetings should automatically open after clicking on the event link. Participants will be prompted by their devices to “allow” equipment camera and audio. Visit this site for more information about Zoom and how it works.

Below is a list of upcoming meetings. The times are for the U.S. and Canada. Use this converter to find the meetings in other time zones.

• March 20, 11 a.m. EDT, 3 p.m. GMT
• March 23, 1 p.m. EDT, 5 p.m. GMT
• March 27, 1 p.m. EDT, 5 p.m. GMT
• March 31, 12 p.m. EDT, 5 p.m. BST

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) refers to a group of genetic disorders that affect connective tissues, which provide structure to joints, skin, blood vessels, and other tissues and organs. Depending on the type of EDS, symptoms can range from loose joints to life-threatening complications. It is estimated that one in 5,000 individuals in the world have EDS.

“The well-being of our community and health professionals is our utmost priority,” the society said. “We would like to reassure our community that we will do our very best to help you with questions you may have.”

The society said it will update its webpage on COVID-19 regularly as the situation develops, “in line with recommendations from the WHO [World Health Organization], the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], and other official sources.”