Managing Cutaneous Immune-Mediated Diseases During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Torres, Tiago; Puig, Luis

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a clinical syndrome caused by a novel coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 has spread rapidly worldwide and has been shown to have a wide spectrum of severity. COVID-19 has become a public health emergency of relevant international concern, and it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March, 2020. SARS-CoV-2 infection in severe cases involves the host response as an important contributor to the disease process and tissue damage, mainly due to dysregulated and excessive innate immune responses. The primary immune response leads to viral clearance in the majority of cases. However, in a subgroup of patients, the secondary immune response may be exaggerated, leading to inflammatory-induced lung injury and other complications including pneumonitis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory failure, shock, organ failure, and potentially death. Several cutaneous immune-mediated diseases, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and hidradenitis suppurativa, are therapeutically managed with biologic and non-biologic immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory drugs. The outbreak of COVID-19 affects the management of these chronic conditions, not only for those who are already receiving treatment but also for those who are about to start a new treatment to control their disease. In this article, the management of cutaneous immune-mediated diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic is discussed.