NPF provides disease management guidance during COVID-19

The National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) COVID-19 Task Force announces guidance for disease management of psoriasis during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a press release from NPF^.1

“The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented disruption in the lives of our patients with psoriatic disease,” says Joel Gelfand, MD, MSCE, professor of dermatology and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. “In these uncertain times, patients and providers urgently need reliable guidance to inform decision making and promote optimal management of psoriatic disease during the pandemic. NPF has led the way by bringing together physicians with diverse areas of expertise relevant to COVID-19, producing critically needed recommendations for our community.”

The guidance consists of 22 statements focused on the following five questions:

• Category 1: What are the effects of psoriatic disease itself on SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 illness?
• Category 2: What are the effects of psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis treatment on SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 illness?
• Category 3: How should medical care be delivered to patients with psoriatic disease to lower their risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 while still ensuring quality of care?
• Category 4: What should patients with psoriatic disease do to protect themselves from becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2?
• Category 5: What should patients with psoriatic disease do if they become infected with COVID-19?

One such statement under category 1 suggests physicians be on the lookout for COVID-19 symptoms in their patients since psoriasis patients are more prone to similar comorbidities associated with increased risk of COVID-19 severity, including chronic heart, lung or kidney disease among others.²

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The statements were created by the 18 physician voting members that make up the task force. Their backgrounds range from dermatology to rheumatology, epidemiology, critical care and infectious diseases.² Members of the task force sought to provide guidance for management of psoriatic disease centered around the COVID-19 pandemic, including how clinical care can be optimized during the pandemic, how the disease and its treatments may impact COVID-19 risk and outcome, what patients should do to lower their risk and what they should do if they develop COVID-19.¹

The guidance statements were recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD). “The publication of formal evidence-based guidance statements represents an important collaboration from leaders across various disciplines and medical specialties to support our community,” says Stacie Bell, PhD, NPF’s chief scientific and medical officer.

For over 50 years, NPF has been the center of the psoriatic disease community – connecting patients and health care providers to improve health outcomes. These guidance statements are a critical step as we respond to patient needs during the pandemic.”

NPF launched its COVID-19 Task Force in May 2020 with the mission to recognize the needs for the psoriatic disease community in relation to COVID-19, as well as provide expertise to NPF in an advisory capacity, according to the press release.¹

More information can be found on NPF’s COVID-19 Resource Center.

References:

1. New paper features 22 guidance statements to promote optimal management of psoriatic disease during the pandemic. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://www.psoriasis.org/npf-covid-19-task-force-guidance-publication/

2. Gelfand JM, Armstrong AW, Bell S, et al. National psoriasis foundation covid-19 task force guidance for management of psoriatic disease during the pandemic: version 1. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2020;83(6):1704-1716.