ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The risk of coronavirus disease-19 infection for healthcare professionals and patients in hospitals remains unclear. METHODS: We investigated whether precautions adopted in our inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) unit have minimized the risks of infection for all patients accessing our facilities in a 1-month period by assessing the rate of coronavirus disease-19 infection in the follow-up period. RESULTS: Three hundred-twenty patients with IBD were included. None were infected from severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 in the follow-up period. None of the IBD team members were infected. DISCUSSION: Neither pharmacological immunosuppression nor access to the hospital seem to be risk factors for infection in patients with IBD.
Subject(s)
Coronavirus Infections/prevention & control , Hospital Units/statistics & numerical data , Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects , Infection Control/statistics & numerical data , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/immunology , Pandemics/prevention & control , Pneumonia, Viral/prevention & control , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Betacoronavirus/immunology , COVID-19 , COVID-19 Testing , Clinical Laboratory Techniques/statistics & numerical data , Coronavirus Infections/diagnosis , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Coronavirus Infections/immunology , Follow-Up Studies , Health Services Accessibility/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional/prevention & control , Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional/statistics & numerical data , Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient/prevention & control , Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient/statistics & numerical data , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/drug therapy , Italy/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Pneumonia, Viral/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Pneumonia, Viral/immunology , Risk Factors , SARS-CoV-2 , Young AdultABSTRACT
The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has required a complete change in the management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who need to undergo endoscopic procedures. Several preventive measures must be taken to avoid the spread of infection among health-care professionals and patients with IBD, including the use of personal protective equipment, greater attention to endoscopic room hygiene and rescheduling of non-urgent procedures. This Perspective aims to provide a guide based on the Italian and French experience to better face the difficulties encountered by endoscopists during this global health emergency. In particular, recommendations regarding the use of personal protective equipment to prevent COVID-19 transmission, both for patients and health-care professionals, are proposed and different scenarios in endoscopic IBD management are evaluated to suggest when endoscopy could be rescheduled and replaced by alternative biomarkers.
Subject(s)
Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Coronavirus Infections/prevention & control , Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal , Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional/prevention & control , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/diagnosis , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/therapy , Pandemics/prevention & control , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Pneumonia, Viral/prevention & control , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Decision Making , France/epidemiology , Humans , Italy/epidemiology , Patient Selection , Personal Protective Equipment , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
The first cases of COVID-19 infection were reported in December, 2019, in Wuhan, China. Italy (in particular Lombardy) and France (in particular Northeast) have been gravely hit. Both physicians and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients are deeply concerned that immunosuppressants or biologics may increase the risk of COVID-19 infection. IOIBD has put in place an international registry, SECURE-IBD, for tracking all the cases with IBDs infected by COVID-19 (SECURE-IBD registry: http://www.covidibd.org). It will describe the outcomes of infected patients and the association between IBD-related medications and these outcomes.
Subject(s)
Betacoronavirus/isolation & purification , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/complications , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , COVID-19 , France/epidemiology , Humans , Immunocompromised Host , Incidence , Italy/epidemiology , Pandemics , Registries/statistics & numerical data , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
Since February 20, 2020, the SARS-COV2 infection has spread in Lombardy, and in the rest of the Italian regions, forcing our government to impose a national lockdown.1 Hospitals have been forced to adapt and to restructure their units to cope with this urgent new critical situation.2 Alternative solutions have been found to manage patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including remote monitoring, drug home delivery, limitations for infusion units, and patient education on measures to prevent infection,3 to maintain high-quality care.4.
Subject(s)
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/epidemiology , Telemedicine , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Coronavirus Infections , Humans , Italy , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral , SARS-CoV-2 , Standard of CareABSTRACT
The outbreak of the COVID-19 caused by coronavirus SARS-CoV2, is rapidly spreading worldwide. This is the first pandemic caused by a coronavirus in history. More than 150 000 confirmed cases worldwide are reported involving the SARS-CoV2, with more than 5000 COVID-19-related deaths on March 14, 2020. Fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, generalised myalgia, malaise, drowsiness, diarrhoea, confusion, dyspnoea, and bilateral interstitial pneumonia are the common symptoms. No therapies are available, and the only way to contain the virus spread is to regularly and thoroughly clean one's hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water, to maintain at least 1 m [3 feet] distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing, to avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth, and to stay home if one feels unwell. No data are available on the risk of COVID-19 and outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] patients. Outbreak restrictions can impact on the IBD care. We aim to give a viewpoint on how operationally to manage IBD patients and ensure quality of care in the current pandemic era.