By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Italian health officials reported an additional 4,050 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, putting the country total over the 100,000 case mark with 101,739.

Image/Hans via pixabay

812 more deaths were also reported bringing the total to 11,591.

Lombardy region has seen more than 42,000 cases, followed by Emilia-Romagna with 13,351 and Veneto with 8,724.

Scientific evidence indicates that immunosuppressed patients, such as people with congenital or secondary immunodeficiencies, transplanted people, people with autoimmune diseases being treated with drugs with immune-suppressive action, as well as people with oncological or oncohaematological diseases, they are particularly at risk, both in terms of morbidity and mortality in the event of infection with respiratory viruses, including coronaviruses.

The Ministry of Health released recommendations today for immunosuppressed people and COVID-19.

For all patients:

  • avoid presence-frequency in crowded places;
  • wear the mask (commonly used, such as surgical ones) outside the home, in particular when visits to the hospital are necessary for visits, examinations and / or treatments;
  • perform careful and frequent hand hygiene (see also the indications of the World Health Organization (WHO) on hand washing);
  • avoid touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth with your hands;
  •  avoid visits to home by family or friends with respiratory symptoms and / or from areas at risk;
  • contact your doctor as soon as symptoms related to respiratory tract infections appear (fever, cough, rhinitis);
  • activate, whenever possible, telemedicine visits to avoid as much as possible, except for clinical and / or therapeutic needs, access to hospital emergency rooms;
  • do not stop the immunosuppressive therapy in progress, unless otherwise indicated by the attending physician;
  • monitor serum immunoglobulin levels and practice replacement therapy in case of reduced lgG values ​​compared to normal ranges;
  • activate smart working procedures as much as possible and avoid working in crowded environments;
  • in case of situations in which it is essential to participate in business meetings in person, keep a distance of at least one meter (better two) from colleagues, inviting them to wear a mask and to perform the correct hygiene rules before contact, including sanitizing the rooms.

Outbreak News Merchandise

For immune-depressed patients with neuromuscular diseases:

The circular underlines that there is recent evidence documenting a neuro-invasive potential of the new coronavirus that could worsen pre-existing symptoms in immunosuppressed people with neuromuscular diseases and among the recommendations indicates:

  • healthcare facilities to identify and establish dedicated routes and spaces (e.g. waiting rooms) and pre-order access through telephone contact and reservations;
  • all healthcare personnel assigned to the care of these patients to wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) (e.g. surgical masks or those specifically indicated for special procedures).
  • to postpone, where possible and in agreement with the specialists in the sector who are in charge of the patient, the follow-up checks
  • to consider early, for symptomatic patients, the use of antiviral drugs in the study (e.g. lopinavir / ritonavir; remdesivir).