ABSTRACT
Background: Chronic diseases contribute to 74% of annual global deaths. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic further aggravated the burden of chronic diseases. The reasons for this adverse impact must be elucidated to develop an appropriate response.Current Concepts: COVID-19 increases the burden of chronic disease in three ways. First, chronic disease comorbidities are associated with a higher severity and fatality rate in patients with COVID-19. Second, the post COVID-19 condition results in chronic health problems. Lastly, a disruption in the system for chronic disease screening and care was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic.Discussion and Conclusion: Strong efforts are needed to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on chronic diseases, and to re-establish an effective system for chronic disease management.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread, information about COVID-19 and skin disease or related biologics is still lacking. OBJECTIVES: To identify the association between COVID-19 and skin diseases or biologics. METHODS: A nationwide claim dataset relevant to COVID-19 in South Korea was analysed. This dataset included insurance claim data before and during COVID-19 treatment and clinical outcomes. Claim data related to skin diseases and relevant biologics were analysed to determine the association of COVID-19 with skin diseases and relevant biologics. RESULTS: The dataset contained a total of 234 427 individuals (111 947 male and 122 480 female) who underwent COVID-19 testing. Of them, 7590 (3·2%) were confirmed as having COVID-19, and 227 (3·0%) confirmed patients died. Among various skin diseases and biologics, no significant increase in the presence of specific skin diseases or exposure to biologics was observed in the COVID-19-positive group, even after adjusting for or matching covariates. The presence of skin diseases and exposure to biologics also did not seem to affect clinical outcomes including mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Underlying skin diseases did not appear to increase susceptibility to COVID-19 or mortality from COVID-19. Considering the risks and benefits, biologics for dermatological conditions might be continuously used during the COVID-19 pandemic.