Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era: The Humanitas, Milan, Experience

Gionata Fiorino; Mariangela Allocca; Federica Furfaro; Daniela Gilardi; Alessandra Zilli; Simona Radice; Antonino Spinelli; Silvio Danese

doi:10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaa058

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era: The Humanitas, Milan, Experience

J Crohns Colitis. 2020 Sep 16;14(9):1330-1333. doi: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaa058.

Authors

Gionata Fiorino^{1

2}, Mariangela Allocca^{1

2}, Federica Furfaro¹, Daniela Gilardi¹, Alessandra Zilli¹, Simona Radice¹, Antonino Spinelli^{2

3}, Silvio Danese^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Gastroenterology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Institute, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.
² Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy.
³ Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Humanitas Clinical and Research Institute, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; inflammatory bowel disease; pandemic; quality of care.

MeSH terms

Betacoronavirus
COVID-19
Change Management
Communicable Disease Control* / methods
Communicable Disease Control* / organization & administration
Coronavirus Infections* / epidemiology
Coronavirus Infections* / prevention & control
Coronavirus Infections* / psychology
Humans
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* / epidemiology
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* / therapy
Italy / epidemiology
Pandemics* / prevention & control
Patient Care Management* / organization & administration
Patient Care Management* / standards
Patient Care Management* / trends
Patient Education as Topic
Pneumonia, Viral* / epidemiology
Pneumonia, Viral* / prevention & control
Pneumonia, Viral* / psychology
Quality Assurance, Health Care* / methods
Quality Assurance, Health Care* / organization & administration
Risk Reduction Behavior
SARS-CoV-2