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Coronavirus/Covid-19

Rose09

Rose09

Hello fellow Crohnies,

Anyone here concerned about our risks while on Humira to fight of the new Coronavirus ? I am worried and trying to not panic. I am supposed to be taking a transatlantic flight in 2 weeks, not to a restricted country but the travel and airports etc worry me...
 
LuckyD

LuckyD

I can't denied I'm a bit concern...I've just started taking humira 8 weeks ago. I live in south Texas and yesterday I read about several confirmed cases of Corona virus in the San Antonio area which is 4 hours away.

I guess at this point we just have to be vigilant and practice good hygiene.
 
B

Brandonz

I've been taking Humira for about 8 years now but I work in the SF Bay Area. We have had a bit of a surge in Coronavirus cases overnight and I'm getting more and more concerned about what this means for me/us on Humira.

What I do know is that per the nurses line at Humira complete is that we are more at risk. However, Abbvie has not released any other information at this time. They suggested I reach out to my GI, which I already have. My GI's office seems to just not care... I explained my situation and why I am concerned and they just had me leave a message with my doctor's MA and said they would be calling me back within 48 business hours.... soo I guess anytime in the next six days. If anyone knows more or has gotten better information from their doctor's I'd also love to hear it!
 
B

Brandonz

Finally spoke to my doctor...

The current consensus seems to be to continue to treat this like the flu. Keep taking your humira if/until you get sick, then stop until you are well again.
 
T

Toni68

Brandonz said:
Finally spoke to my doctor...

The current consensus seems to be to continue to treat this like the flu. Keep taking your humira if/until you get sick, then stop until you are well again.
Click to expand...
Hi I’m in ireland where cases now stand at 20, all related to people who’ve been to Italy. I am on Simponi(100 mg monthly) for 5years.. I rang IBD nurse re taking this months and advice was to carry on as it will be in your system for 4 weeks anyway... I pointed out I also have asthma and high blood pressure too... personally I’d rather have a crohns flare then possibly a lung infection ..as recent data states that your lungs can be permanently scarred ..in the past I’ve had pneumonia and a collapsed lung twice...I’m 52 mother of 4 dx at 46.. bowel resection 47... and worried
 
Rose09

Rose09

It is a worry isn't it? I haven't even bothered contacting my GI or Abbvie...I know they will say carry on with Humira whilst well. Its a waiting game I suppose. I hope it gets under control soon!
Brandonz thank you for updating us with your GIs advice.
Good luck everyone!
 
Rose09

Rose09

Toni68 said:
Hi I’m in ireland where cases now stand at 20, all related to people who’ve been to Italy. I am on Simponi(100 mg monthly) for 5years.. I rang IBD nurse re taking this months and advice was to carry on as it will be in your system for 4 weeks anyway... I pointed out I also have asthma and high blood pressure too... personally I’d rather have a crohns flare then possibly a lung infection ..as recent data states that your lungs can be permanently scarred ..in the past I’ve had pneumonia and a collapsed lung twice...I’m 52 mother of 4 dx at 46.. bowel resection 47... and worried
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I agree I would rather have a flare than my lungs be in bad shape although I usually need pred when flaring and that would make me even more susceptible to viruses.
 
JackG

JackG

Our pastor was traveling in the Holy Land and Italy in the last month and I'm wondering if he shouldn't voluntarily go get tested. Isn't it obvious that TRAVELERS are the ones spreading this virus?
 
Jo-mom

Jo-mom

Location
Toronto, Canada
If he isn't feeling ill, there isn't a need for testing typically... And I believe it is the northern part of Italy that is mostly being hit with the virus right now. The Vatican only has one recent incident reported.
 
Bufford

Bufford

Well-known member
Location
Northwestern Ontario
This is the problem, early on symptoms may not be present, but the virus is already able to transmit and infect others. We should be concerned, particularly those of us who are older and have auto immune disorders such as Chrons.
 
B

Brandonz

Testing once you have symptoms is a joke. The only way to make testing useful would be frequent and easy access. This way you can know if you are carrying it or not. Testing when showing symptoms means that everyone you came in contact with for the past 2-3 weeks likely has it now and doesn't know as well.
 
Jo-mom

Jo-mom

Location
Toronto, Canada
So if a person visited a place in Italy that has only one incidence of this virus, then they should be tested even if they don't have symptoms? I don't agree. We need to be diligent but we shouldn't panic.
 
D Bergy

D Bergy

It doesn’t really matter who should or should not have been tested so far since the tests have not been available. Thats why there really is no way to know how many people are infected presently.

They have only been able to test a small number of symptomatic people because the CDC botched its original test (It was faulty). Then made matters worse by not allowing independent labs put out their own tests or using tests the WHO already had.

Maybe by the end of this week there might be enough for most hospitals and clinics. We will see.

Dan
 
Rose09

Rose09

I am supposed to fly to London to visit my father next week. He is frail and on oxygen at home for lung disease...vulnerable to infection. I really don't know what to do. I don't want to potentially pick up the virus on the plane or at the airports and inadvertently give it to him (plus I am on Humira so I may have trouble myself) but I am trying to avoid the media hype and not panic...other people are continuing to travel....
Really not sure what to do.
 
D Bergy

D Bergy

Yes, I have the same concerns about accidentally giving even the flu virus to my father who is in similar shape much less the Wuhan virus.

I am a volunteer driver for the county so just by default I will be in contact with people that are sick. I drive people that need medical treatment of one kind or another.

I don’t worry about myself getting the virus as I have multiple unofficial ways of dealing with most any microbe. I am not on any Crohns medications either

I do worry about spreading something nasty to chemo patients, old frail people or even whole families. I would like a way to test if I do become symptomatic at some point.

Really, my biggest concern about this new threat is becoming a “Typhoid Mary” because I come into contact with so many vulnerable people.

Dan
 
Rose09

Rose09

I don't think you need to worry too much if you are not on any immunosuppressive meds and are relatively healthy. I guess we just wait and see how it developes and keep clean and away from risky crowds. I still dont know what to do about my trip...the news switches from panic and stay home to " its Ok to travel"
 
T

Toni68

Rose09 said:
I don't think you need to worry too much if you are not on any immunosuppressive meds and are relatively healthy. I guess we just wait and see how it developes and keep clean and away from risky crowds. I still dont know what to do about my trip...the news switches from panic and stay home to " its Ok to travel"
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Hi forgot to mention,I was also dx with esophageal Crohn’s last august, with no bowel involvement,(which is VERY rare)after 7mnths of being on 120mg daily of nexium and fixidine and topically treating (swallowing)flixitide(2puffs twice daily)... now being told HAVE to switch to infliximab infusions ( on simponi for 5 years)... pretty scared of having no choice but to sit in a hospital with all this going on I can tell you
 
Rose09

Rose09

Toni68 said:
Hi forgot to mention,I was also dx with esophageal Crohn’s last august, with no bowel involvement,(which is VERY rare)after 7mnths of being on 120mg daily of nexium and fixidine and topically treating (swallowing)flixitide(2puffs twice daily)... now being told HAVE to switch to infliximab infusions ( on simponi for 5 years)... pretty scared of having no choice but to sit in a hospital with all this going on I can tell you
Click to expand...
Are you in hospital right now ? I'm so sorry that you have this added stress on top of your health worries...can you put off the biologic med for a bit until this virus calms down ? Are your symptoms bad at the moment ? I have not heard of many people with esophageal Crohn's, I imagine it is very painful! I hope you are getting good care.
 
R

rabert101

I've recently been struggling with a bad flare even with the Humira, so I'm definitely needing to stay on it but concerned enough about COVID-19 to severely limit my social interactions. I'm lucky enough to be able to work from home but outside of necessary outings I'm staying home & washing my hands a lot.
 
T

Toni68

Rose09 said:
Are you in hospital right now ? I'm so sorry that you have this added stress on top of your health worries...can you put off the biologic med for a bit until this virus calms down ? Are your symptoms bad at the moment ? I have not heard of many people with esophageal Crohn's, I imagine it is very painful! I hope you are getting good care.
Click to expand...
Thanks rose... no not at the min.. just had bloods done today before small Bowel mri on Monday (though why they’re not including upper tract I just don’t know) start date is down for 10th of April (have to wait 4 weeks cos they told me to take Simponi this month) ... well I was dx last august and found stricture did biopsy and was crohns, they now feel acid wasn’t the cause and defo crohns.. well when food doesn’t go down is bad enough.. but it also gives you fear of ANYTHING youre going to eat in case gets stuck even though I know I won’t choke ...even just swallowing saliva feels like it’s trying to get by a lump... I know I’d never heard of it either.. but reading up on it could be overlooked cos endoscopys aren’t routine unless there’s symptoms,more prevalent in children strangely... thanks again
 
K

kallaikoi

[MEDIA = twitter] 1234948504776146944 [/ MEDIA]
[CITAR]
Robin Farmanfarmaian @ Robinff3
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1234948504776146944

¡Muy guay!

En China, se ha presentado un ensayo clínico anti-TNF para tratar COVID-19, utilizando el #Humira #biosimilar

Me encantaría saber qué piensan los expertos en factores de necrosis antitumoral

cc @DCharabaty @IBDMD @MondayNightIBD https: // fuente. gbihealth.com/News/NewsDetail?newsID=2033762&fbclid=IwAR1aJ789BXyAapCV3DwH4CnD2IHS6sNSFacSnmdRZGvWhOgiquRBl6cApGI… # Covid_19




El adalimumab biosimilar de Bio-Thera se activará con COVID-19

El sitio web chictr.org.cn indica que Qletli, de Bio-Thera Solutions Ltd, con sede en China, una versión biosimilar del medicamento contra la enfermedad autoinmune de AbbVie, adalimumab (nombre comercial: Humira), ha sido archivado para un estudio clínico que trata pacientes graves y críticamente enfermos con COVID-19. Presentado por el Hospital Shanghai Changzheng, un hospital de Clase 3A, el ensayo está diseñado para evaluar la seguridad y la eficacia del medicamento.
Qletli obtuvo la aprobación del mercado en China en noviembre de 2019, como informó GBI, para tratar la espondilitis anquilosante, la artritis reumatoide y la psoriasis. Es el primer biosimilar oficial de adalimumab aprobado en China.
Humira es el primer factor de necrosis antitumoral del mundo anticuerpo (TNF-ɑ) anticuerpo monoclonal (mAb). Se une específicamente al TNF soluble humano soluble y bloquea su interacción con los receptores de TNF de la superficie celular p55 y p75, bloqueando así los efectos inflamatorios del TNF-ɑ. AbbVie ha disfrutado del estado de Humira como la droga más vendida en el mundo durante los últimos siete años, generando USD 20.5 mil millones en ventas durante 2018.
 
D Bergy

D Bergy

The risk would probably be similar to the Flu. Unless you are 70 + years old, I wouldn't be too concerned.

Dan
 
Rose09

Rose09

www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org

What IBD patients need to know about COVID-19

As new COVID-19 (coronavirus) variants continue to effect people in the United Sta
www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org

The video is very informative and reassuring, especially from 42:00 where the Dr talks about the world wide registry of IBD patients with Covid-19. I really recommend watching this!
 
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