PsoProtect and PsoProtectMe Update – January 202

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Dear PsoProtect supporter,


We are so grateful for your ongoing contributions to the global psoriasis/COVID-19 registries, PsoProtect and PsoProtectMe. We are delighted to share our latest update – attached and copied below, alongside a plain text version. 
PsoProtect – please continue to report any cases of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in psoriasis
PsoProtectMe– please encourage your patients to complete the PsoProtectMe survey, whether or not they have had COVID-19

PsoProtect and PsoProtectMe Update – November 2020

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Dear PsoProtect supporter,

We are so grateful for your ongoing contributions to the global psoriasis/COVID-19 registries, PsoProtect and PsoProtectMe. We are delighted to share our latest update – attached and copied below, alongside a plain text version. 
PsoProtect – please continue to report any cases of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in psoriasis
PsoProtectMe– please encourage your patients to complete the PsoProtectMe survey, whether or not they have had COVID-19

PsoProtectMe survey

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We’re asking everyone around the world with psoriasis, whether or not you have symptoms of COVID-19, to complete the PsoProtectMe survey (www.psoprotectme.org).  

The online survey takes only 5-10 minutes and asks about your symptoms, psoriasis treatments and any underlying health conditions you may have. If you have suffered from COVID-19, we will ask how this has affected you and your psoriasis.  

Your information will help us understand how the pandemic is affecting people with psoriasis, and whether the treatments we use for psoriasis increase (or decrease) the risk of severe COVID-19 infection. This will help healthcare professionals make important decisions about the clinical care of people with psoriasis during the pandemic.  

Your contribution will benefit everyone – please help by completing the PsoProtectMe survey today. 

PsoProtect project

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Dear EUROPSO members,

In these difficult times, I would like to thank you for all the actions you as an organization do for your patients.

EUROPSO is a partner organization on the PsoProtect project. The PsoProtect is the Psoriasis Patient Registry for Outcomes, Therapy, and Epidemiology of COVID-19 Infection.

Below you can read the words from the PsoProtect steering committee, whose members are dr. Satveer Mahil, Prof. Chris Griffiths, Prof. Jonathan Barker and Prof. Catherine Smith.

PsoProtect is an international registry for health care providers to report outcomes of COVID-19 in individuals with psoriasis

We are incredibly grateful for your important contribution to this international effort. Please report your cases of COVID-19 in psoriasis using the PsoProtect case report form, which collects de-identified data and takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. You will be provided with a copy of your completed case report form upon submission.

The information you provide will rapidly inform clinicians when assessing risk and treating COVID-19 in patients with psoriasis and other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. It will help improve our understanding of how factors such as immunomodulator therapies and comorbidities affect outcomes of COVID-19 in psoriasis.

We will provide regular, open access summaries of all reported cases in PsoProtect, for the benefit of the international psoriasis community.

Thank you,

Dr. Satveer Mahil, Prof. Chris Griffiths, Prof. Jonathan Barker and Prof. Catherine Smith

On behalf of the PsoProtect steering committee.

We please you if you can inform health care professionals about the PsoProtect project. The form must be completed by health care professionals caring for a patient with psoriasis and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Thank you for your help.

Stay healthy, stay home and be here for your patients 🙂

All the best,
Jan Koren
President

COVID-19: Beware of falsified medicines from unregistered websites

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Dear Europso member,

EMA is urging the general public not to buy medicines from unauthorized websites and other vendors aiming to exploit fears and concerns during the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Vendors may claim that their products can treat or prevent COVID-19 or may appear to provide easy access to legitimate medicines that are otherwise not readily available. Such products are likely to be falsified medicines.

Falsified medicines are fake medicines that vendors pass off as real or authorized. They may contain the wrong or no active ingredient or the right ingredient in the wrong amount. They may also contain very harmful substances that should not be in medicines. Taking such products can lead to severe health problems or a worsening of your condition.

To protect yourself from fraudulent vendors, only buy medicines from a local pharmacy or retailer or from an online pharmacy that is registered with the national competent authorities. You can find the lists of registered online pharmacies in EU countries via EMA’s website or directly from websites of the national competent authorities.

All registered online pharmacies have a common logo which you can use to confirm that the site is registered. The logo consists of a rectangle with horizontal stripes and a white cross placed in the left half of the rectangle adjacent to the midline. Below this is the flag of the EU country where the online pharmacy is registered.

Before buying a medicine from a site, check that the site has the logo and then click on it. You will then be taken to the website of your national authority and shown a list of all legally operating online pharmacies. Check that the online pharmacy you have visited is listed there before continuing with your purchase. If it is not listed, do not buy any medicine from that site.

Keeping safe when buying medicines

  • Falsified medicines can cause serious harm
  • When buying over the internet, only use registered online pharmacies
  • Check that the online pharmacy you are using has the common logo
  • Click on the logo and confirm that the online pharmacy is listed on the national authority website
  • Do not buy medicines advertised as cures or preventive treatments for COVID-19. To treat COVID-related symptoms such as fever, discuss with your doctor or follow advice from authorities

The public is reminded that there are currently no treatments authorized for COVID-19. Medicines are available for treating symptoms such as fever in line with advice from your doctor or pharmacist.

In the event of a shortage of any medicines, you should follow the advice of your doctor, pharmacist or national competent authority. You can find some information about ongoing shortages on the websites of EMA and the national competent authorities.

This information has been published on EMA’s website with related content. Please check EMA’s dedicated webpage on COVID-19 for the latest updates.

CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 CONCERNS?

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Dear Friends,

We understand that you may have concerns about the current coronavirus known as COVID-19. EUROPSO and its medical board are actively monitoring information on this virus. We want to remind the psoriatic disease community that the National Centers for Disease Control are the best resource for updates and information regarding this novel coronavirus for our community. While we will make every effort to keep our information up to date as the situation with COVID-19 progresses, we would always recommend following the guidance on the your local health authorities’ websites first and foremost, as this will be the most up to date, and therefore the most accurate.

If you are experiencing respiratory symptoms, or if you have specific concerns about your situation or treatment plan, you should contact your dermatologist, rheumatologist or health care provider by telephone.

Psoriasis patients receiving biological treatment or immunosuppressive drugs have not been described as a risk group for developing more severe forms of coronavirus disease, so we insist that you do not be misled by alarmist information and consult your doctor if you have any concerns. Likewise, we remind you that, in the event of an episode of high fever or respiratory symptoms, you should go to the doctor or call the emergency telephone number, to receive instructions, but never self-medicate or make unilateral decisions about your medication.

While we will make every effort to keep our information up to date as the situation with COVID-19 progresses, we would always recommend following the guidance on the your local health authorities’ websites first and foremost, as this will be the most up to date, and therefore the most accurate.

For more information: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

Jan Koren
President of EUROPSO