Management of Patients with Inflammatory Diseases during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Patients with inflammatory diseases who receive moderate or high-risk anti-inflammatory therapies might be considered as an increased risk group for severe COVID-19 and appropriate measures should be taken in order to protect them. . Initiation of immuno-suppressive/modulatory therapies should be done with caution, taking into account the severity of the underlying inflammatory disease, the type of anti-inflammatory treatment, and the risk of exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. . Discontinuation of anti-inflammatory therapies in patients who have not been exposed to or infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is not recommended. . In patients who become infected with SARS-CoV-2, anti-inflammatory therapies should be discontinued, except in special cases. . Specialty physicians should actively participate in the Interdisciplinary Teams caring for patients with inflammatory diseases during COVID19 infection. .