Medscape: German Society Updates Rheumatic Diseases Guidelines in Light of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

Avis Ware, MD, director and professor in the UC Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, spoke with Reuters Health for a story about the German Society for Rheumatology updating its guidelines to reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  A key change is a recommendation that anti-rheumatic medication should not be changed solely for fear of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Other key findings include that patients with an inflammatory rheumatic disease (IRD) do not have a higher risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 and that IRD patients should follow the same behavioral and precautionary measures as the general population. Ware told Reuters Health that many of the recommendations overlap with guidance from the American College of Rheumatology and the European League Against Rheumatism.

Read the full interview in Medscape online.

Learn more about Avis Ware, MD.

Featured image of Avis Ware, MD, taken by Colleen Kelley/UC Creative + Brand.