Patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases in Romania need the continuous access to health services, including through telemedicine consultations, and the possibility of continuing the necessary therapies, in order not to face the aggravation of the disease during the pandemic of COVID- 19.
Although some patients came to the doctor for fear of infection later, rheumatologists made efforts to ensure that care was not completely interrupted at any time during the pandemic.
These are some of the conclusions of the debate Health is in your hands! Act now !, organized by the Romanian League Against Rheumatism and the Romanian Society of Rheumatology, on the occasion World Arthritis Day (marked every year on October 12).
The group of patients with rheumatic diseases is a sensitive group, which needs special care and attention, looking mainly at the risk of affecting the immune system and its possible correlation with COVID-19.
Obviously, we and the patients we care for are affected by the fact that antirheumatic medications, including hydroxychloroquine or tocilizumab, are used to treat patients with COVID-19. We must try to adapt to these conditions, so as to ensure the continuity of rheumatology medical services and the access of patients who need us, said Prof. Dr. Cătălin Codreanu, rheumatologist.
Rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases affect people of all ages and include over 200 conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthropathy, fibromyalgia, lupus and gout.
According to the World Health Organization, these conditions are the leading cause of disability worldwide. Therefore, during this period it was very important that these diseases did not worsen.
The situation regarding patients’ access to care differs from one patient to another, from one ward to another. Long-term hospitalizations were reduced, but virtually no interruptions.
There are some patients who came to us later out of fear than under normal conditions, but the doctors made efforts so that the situation would not be irreparable, said Prof. Dr. Simona Rednic, rheumatologist.
Vaccination of patients with rheumatic diseases, a priority
And in the case of patients with rheumatic diseases, vaccination against COVID-19 remains the best weapon against the disease, as they have a recommendation for priority vaccination and recently a recommendation for the administration of three doses of the vaccine from the initial schedule.
Patients with inflammatory, autoimmune rheumatic diseases have a very high risk of developing severe forms of COVID-19, so it is a priority group for vaccination against COVID-19. All rheumatology patients should have been vaccinated by this time. Vaccination should be carried out as soon as possible, regardless of the degree of activity of the rheumatic disease and its severity.
Immunocompromised patients with immunological diseases who start vaccination will now receive instead of two doses, 3 doses, according to the latest approvals. After 28 days of the second dose, the immunocompromised patient may receive a third dose of mRNA vaccine.
In Romania, the administration of the third dose to immunocompromised patients is possible starting this month, said Prof. Dr. Victoria Aramă, infectious disease doctor.
She added that no serological testing is required prior to vaccination of patients, that after vaccination patients must continue to follow the protective measures against COVID-19 and that it is important that patients’ families are also vaccinated.
More than 120 million people (one in four citizens) in the European Union suffer from rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, more people than in any other group of diseases.
In Romania, over 600,000 people (3% of the population) suffer from inflammatory rheumatic diseases, which significantly affect the active population, young people and even children.
The event organized by the Romanian League Against Rheumatism and the Romanian Society of Rheumatology also participated patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases, which called on the authorities to continue telemedicine services, which are essential for patients during this period, but and representatives of the authorities: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Diana-Loreta Păun – Presidential Adviser, Prof. Farm. Dr. Robert Ancuceanu – President of the National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices in Romania, Adela Cojan – President of the National Health Insurance House.
The registration of the event can be watched here: https://srreumatologie.ro/live/ or on the Facebook page of the Romanian Society of Rheumatology, click here.
Campaign supported by AbbVie, Eli Lilly, EwoPharm and Pfizer.
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