COVID-19 INFORMATION FOR ALPHA’S
The following is a statement from Professor David Parr, Univsersity Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire
Information on the impact of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is not yet available. It is unlikely that AATD confers an increased risk of becoming infected with the virus. However, the impact of infection with COVID-19 in AATD is likely to be greater than in the general population. Patients with emphysema are less likely to cope with the development of a viral pneumonia and it is likely that the lasting effects of a viral pneumonia will be greater in patients with AATD than in the general population (ie AATD patients are likely to be at high-risk).
The landscape is rapidly evolving and alphas are advised to monitor events on a daily basis, since the likelihood of infection increases with the increasing number of cases in the UK. Advice is available to employers from Public Health England, the NHS and the UK government. Information for the public is widely available on the internet and the following link should provide a reliable source of current information:
www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public