Care for patients with autoimmune disease and COVID-19:
Publication Date: May 23, 2020
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.059
Key Takeaway: This is the first large-scale general population study on lifestyle risk factors (smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, and excessive alcohol intake) for COVID-19 using prospective cohort data with national registry linkage to hospitalisation. Participants were 387,109 men and women (56.4 ± 8.8 yr; 55.1% women) residing in England from UK Biobank study. Finding were:
The authors recommend, “Adopting simple lifestyle changes could lower the risk of severe COVID-19 infection.”
Publisher: MMWR/CDC
Publication Date: May 22, 2020
URL: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6920e1.htm?s_cid=mm6920e1_w Key Takeaway: The observed declines in vaccination coverage might leave children and communities vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles due to a decline in herd immunity. Concerted efforts are needed to ensure rapid catch-up for children who are not up-to-date with age-appropriate vaccinations.
Publication Date: May 22, 2020
URL: https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2035
Key Takeaway: With 4.7 million people worldwide and over 300 000 have died and without a vaccine or disappearance of the virus, we could be living with COVID-19 disease for the foreseeable future, possibly years. Beyond the hospital, long term outcomes of COVID-19 are unknown. Anecdotal reports have included symptoms that last for weeks or months.
Sequelae of COVID-19 infection might include worsening of chronic conditions and profound needs for rehabilitation. There is much to learn about transmission, immunity and its durability, and, as with other coronaviruses, the potential for reinfection. The authors call for cohort studies of such patients (see below Epidemiology), “If we are going to be managing COVID-19 for the next several years…we need to understand and optimize care before, during, and beyond the hospital.”