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Change in Allergy Practice during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020; Karger Publishers; Volume: 182; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1159/000512079

1423-0097

Ayse Öztürk, Ayşe Baççıoğlu, Özge Soyer, Ersoy Civelek, Bülent Enis Şekerel, Sevim Bavbek,

SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research

<b><i>Background:</i></b> International guidelines in asthma and allergy has been updated for COVID-19 pandemic and pandemic has caused dramatic changes in allergy and immunology services. However, it is not known whether specialty-specific recommendations for COVID-19 are followed by allergists. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> By conducting this study, we aimed to determine the attitudes and experiences of adult/pediatric allergists on allergy management during COVID-19. <b><i>Method:</i></b> We used a 20-question survey to elicit data from allergists (residents and pediatric and adult allergists registered to the Turkish National Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) across Turkey via e-mail. We analyzed the data statistically for frequency distributions and descriptive analysis. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A total of 183 allergists participated in the survey. Telemedicine was used for management of asthma (73%), allergic rhinitis (53%), atopic dermatitis (51%), chronic urticaria/angioedema (59%), drug hypersensitivity (45%), food allergy (48%), venom allergy (30%), anaphylaxis (22%), and hereditary angioedema (28%). Thirty-one percent of the respondents discontinued subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty-four percent of the physicians reported interruption of systemic steroid use in asthma patients, and 25% of the respondents discontinued biological therapy. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Allergists in Turkey have been using telemedicine at a high rate during the COVID-19 pandemic for asthma and rhinitis. The continuation rate of SCIT was low while the discontinuation rate of biologicals and systemic steroid use in asthma was high in Turkey.<b><i></i></b>Our study results and learning from the experiences of other countries and specialties may help to optimize allergy practice and compatibility with international guidelines.