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COVID-19 guidance in chronic diseases: a need to reach across the borders of the traditional medical specialities

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic poses extraordinary challenges to all physicians, especially managing sick and vulnerable patients, such as those with chronic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis share use of immunomodulators and biologic therapies that pose potential enhanced risks in a pandemic. Despite this considerable overlap, specialist societies have not issued joint guidance, understandable given the short timelines of COVID-19 response. The recently written ‘shielding’ advice for protecting sick and vulnerable patients released by the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG),1 the British Society of Rheumatology (BSR)2 and the British Association of Dermatology (BAD)3 had some subtle differences that we want to highlight here as a catalyst for enhancing cross-speciality working. Both BSR and BAD guidelines include chronic kidney disease (CKD) in their risk stratification guidance for …

Source: Frontline Gastroenterology

DOI: 10.1136/flgastro-2020-101515

Authors: Tom Thomas, Joht Singh Chandan, Ajay Mark Verma, Paul Cockwell, Emma Vaux, Neeraj Bhala