Learn about your risk for COVID-19 and its complications and how to continue managing psoriasis and your overall health during the pandemic and as the world slowly gets back to normal.
Personal Risk for COVID-19
Infections are considered common complications in people with psoriasis, which can increase your risk for all types of infections, including COVID-19.
COVID-19 is an infection caused by the SARS-COV-2 virus. It can infect the upper respiratory tract ( sinuses, nose, or throat) or lower respiratory tract (lungs and windpipe). It spreads in the same way other coronaviruses do, mainly person-to-person.
The risk of COVID-19 for people with psoriasis is unknown, and there is no conclusive evidence suggesting that they might be affected differently by COVID-19 compared to people without the condition.
However, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest people using immunosuppressive drug therapies might be at a higher risk for contracting COVID-19. Even if you are not using immunosuppressive therapies to treat psoriasis, coronavirus (the virus that causes COVID-19) is still highly contagious, so everyone is at risk.
If you have other conditions in addition to psoriasis, you’re at increased risk for a poor outcome should you develop COVID-19. This includes comorbidities, like diabetes and heart, lung, or kidney diseases, which are more common in people with severe psoriasis.
Protecting Yourself
Because having psoriasis might increase your risk for contracting COVID-19 or its severe complications, you will need to take extra precautions to avoid exposure. This includes the standard CDC recommendations.
CDC Recommendations
The CDC recommends practicing physical distancing, wearing face coverings when you are in public settings where social distancing is difficult, and washing your hands regularly.
While it can get old trying to follow these recommendations day after day, week after week, and month after month, it is important to stay vigilant. COVID-19 is going to be here for a while, so you shouldn’t put your guard down.
Anytime you leave your home, you should be wearing a face covering, according to the CDC.4 It is also important to take your mask off as soon as you get home and gently wash your hands and face. Pat skin dry and moisturize to keep skin from drying up.
Psoriasis Self-Care
Caring for your health and skin with psoriasis is always important, but it is essential during a worldwide pandemic.
Follow Your Treatment Plan
Staying on top of your treatment plans is one of the most important ways to stay healthy and keep psoriasis managed. You need to take all your medications as prescribed, even immunosuppressive drug therapies. There has not been enough research that supports stopping these medications during the pandemic.
The National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) recommends staying on these medications unless you become infected with COVID-19. NPF does recommend stopping biologic drug therapies if you test positive for COVID-19.
Stay in Touch With Your Doctor
If you have not been in touch with your doctor since the start of the pandemic, it is a good idea to check-in. You can visit your doctor with a telehealth visit (a video chat appointment). That way, you are not going into your doctor’s office in person, and you are staying safe and healthy.
Keep Your Skin Healthy
While your skin symptoms aren’t going to increase your risk for COVID-19, you still want to keep your skin healthy. It is important to keep your skin moisturized and to locally treat skin plaques with topical treatments.
Frequent hand washing is important, but it is a good idea to use mild soap and not hand sanitizers to avoid irritation or disturbing the outer layer of your skin.
Take Advantage of Stress Reduction Tools
Stress is a well-known trigger for psoriasis flare-ups. For many people with psoriasis, the pandemic has increased their stress levels.
Stress-relieving approaches, such as mindful meditation, exercise, relaxation breathing, and yoga, can all be helpful to keeping you calm and balanced and keeping psoriasis flare-ups (periods of high disease activity) at bay.
Get Enough Sleep
During times of stress, you might lose sleep, and the lack of sleep can exacerbate psoriasis symptoms. Make sure you are getting seven to eight hours of sleep nightly. Try to get to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning.
Treating Psoriasis During the Pandemic
COVID-19 has made managing serious health conditions a little more challenging. Even so, you need to continue to communicate with your doctor regularly, even if it is not the same as it was before the pandemic.
You can still make inpatient appointments. Your doctor’s office is doing everything they can to keep you safe when you come in for a visit.
This includes limiting the number of people coming in and out of their offices, practicing masking and physical distancing, screening measures for COVID-19, disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, and providing hand sanitizers for staff and patient use.
You also have the option of a telemedicine visit. Telemedicine uses a wide array of technologies for doctors to connect with their patients. This might include video conferencing platforms like Zoom or FaceTime and communications through the telephone and messaging. Telemedicine often occurs in real-time.
Research shows people with psoriasis who received treatment via telemedicine had similar outcomes to people who visited their dermatologists for in-person visits. Telemedicine has become crucial during the pandemic to stay connected with your doctor and get the care you need to manage psoriasis effectively.
Symptoms to Watch For
The most common COVID-19 symptoms are a dry cough, fatigue, and fever, according to the World Health Organisation. Additional symptoms to watch out for include:
- Aches and pains
- Digestive symptoms, including diarrhoea
- Nasal congestion
- Shortness of breathing or difficulty breathing
- Nasal congestion or runny nose
- Sore throat
- Loss of taste or smell
If you are exposed to the coronavirus, you might develop symptoms within 2 to 14 days. Symptoms of COVID-19 range from mild to severe. Some people might be asymptomatic, meaning they don’t experience any symptoms of COVID-19.
If You Test Positive for COVID-19
If you test positive for COVID-19, your doctor will provide you with information and treatment to help you to recover. They will also provide instructions on how to self-isolate to avoid spreading the virus. Most people can recover at home.
You should contact your dermatologist to see if you need to make changes to your psoriasis treatment plan. Do not stop taking any medication until your doctor gives you the OK.
If your doctor stops any treatment, find out when it is safe to restart that medication. You should also get in touch with your doctor if your psoriasis flares up while you are recovering from COVID-19.
Getting Back To Normal
The prospect of getting back to normal just seems to be moving further and further into the future as the pandemic continues. Even though normal isn’t yet within our reach, you still need to live your life as best as you can to protect your health.
You are probably wondering whether it will be safe for you to take the vaccine. Both the International Psoriasis Council and the National Psoriasis Foundation recommend that people with psoriasis take the vaccine as soon as it becomes available.
A statement posted by the International Psoriasis Council on COVID-19 vaccines and psoriasis states that “there is no evidence that vaccines affect psoriasis onset or severity.”
The National Psoriasis Foundation’s COVID-19 Task Force recommends people with psoriasis take the vaccine if they have not had prior contradictions to vaccines. NPF further notes that you can take the vaccine even if you take biologic therapies to treat psoriasis.
Ask your psoriasis-treating doctor if they think the COVID-19 vaccine is right for you. They can provide accurate information about the vaccine and answer any questions you may have.
Getting the vaccine doesn’t mean you should stop practicing preventive measures, such as mask-wearing, physical distancing, and hand washing. While vaccines are an effective tool for preventing COVID-19, they don’t guarantee complete immunity.
A Word From Verywell
Living with psoriasis comes with unique challenges, which have become more evident during the pandemic. And as the pandemic continues, it is important to stay calm, keep an open mind, and rely on your doctor’s advice to best guide you.
Don’t be afraid to speak up about fears and questions you may have. Never make any changes to your treatment plan without first talking to your doctor. Finally, make sure you reach out to your doctor if you experience a change or an increase in psoriasis symptoms or experience COVID-19-like symptoms.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/managing-psoriasis-in-pandemic-5112556
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