The Corona virus has been classified by the World Health Organization as a pandemic. While new cases are reported almost every hour, uncertainty is spreading in society alongside the virus. We are talking about risk groups and mortality rates, but the risk of Covid-19 has so far been difficult to grasp.
The situation is new – even for experienced doctors like Dr. med. Thomas Voshaar. He is chairman of the board of the association of pneumological clinics (VPK) and chief physician of the lung center at the Bethanien hospital in Moers and spoke to BRIGITTE.de about the corona virus.
Who really belongs to the risk group for Covid-19, Dr. Voshaar?
"On the one hand, the previous figures provide analyzes of which age groups are really at risk. Unfortunately, it really is that it is starts at 60, that they already have a higher risk and that this increases again at 70 and 80.
Then of course it's all about Respiratory diseases. Because all patients, for example, have severe COPD or chronic obstructive bronchitis. Join in all patients who are permanently under any modulating therapy, People used to say immunosuppressive drugs, but cortisone and other drugs don't just suppress, they change. So the better term is immunomodulation. "
What does that mean exactly? When do you take such medication?
"There are a lot of diseases that are treated in this way. These include, for example, pulmonary fibrosis, but also patients with rheumatism. What is meant is the entire rheumatic range, including collagenosis, which are connective tissue diseases and inflammatory diseases of the vessels – but none normal vascular disease, just inflammatory. "
And they have an increased risk of getting the corona virus?
"Basically, you have to assume that they have an increased risk of infection. No one knows whether this also applies to the corona virus in a special way.
But: It is again important to see the other side: If you did not have these therapies, on the one hand they would live much worse and with constant symptoms. But the other is that many of these diseases are likely to pose a much higher risk of infection if left untreated. It's very, very important. "
What about asthma, for example?
"I try to make this clear using the example of asthma: An untreated asthma not only means that you always have symptoms such as cough and shortness of breath, but an untreated asthma definitely has an increased infection rate. And then the treated asthma doesn't have it .
This applies to asthma, COPD, rheumatism and others – this is a very important message that nobody is changing anything in their therapy. That would certainly be wrong.
This is also important to reassure people: Yes, officially it is the case that if we intervene in the immune system, we change something in order to live with the disease as far as possible without symptoms. The consequences can be a certain level of defense. If we were to leave these diseases untreated, the infection rate and the consequences of an infection would probably be much greater! "
Thank you very much for the interview, Dr. Voshaar!
Corona virus: an overview of the risk group
- People aged 60 and over
- Patients with respiratory diseases such as COPD, pulmonary fibrosis or chronic obstructive bronchitis
- Chronically ill patients who take immunomodulating drugs – for example due to rheumatism, collagenosis or inflammatory vascular diseases
Sources used: Pulmonologists online, interview with Dr. med. Voshaar