The current COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has become a global health emergency. Treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (CIBD) according to the standards includes the use of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), corticosteroids, cytostatics, and biological therapy. However, these treatments can weaken the immune system, which potentially puts COPD patients at increased risk of infections and infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Therefore, patients with CVD have a greater risk of developing COVID-19 and more severe clinical course, or even death, compared to the general population.
Analyzing the subjective assessment of health by student youth (under the age of 25), we found the following: the vast majority of respondents, regardless of gender, rated their own health as "good" and "very good". Almost half of the guys and every fifth girl noted the criterion for assessing "excellent" health. About 2% of boys and 3% of girls noted that they have “excellent” health. The criteria for assessing the health of "mediocre" and "poor" for the children practically did not differ. Thus, “mediocre” health was observed in 15% of boys and 14% of girls; "bad" - 2% of boys and 2% of girls.
Moreover, low vitamin D levels common in patients with CVD may increase the risk and severity of COVID-19. This is because vitamin D increases levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines and reduces viral replication, which in turn can reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines that contribute to lung damage.
Despite the lack of evidence demonstrating increased susceptibility to COVID-19, drugs used in the treatment of COPD increase the risk of respiratory tract infections to varying degrees. However, theoretically, some immunosuppressive drugs may have beneficial effects, given that the cause of death in COVID-19 is a cytokine storm leading to acute respiratory failure.
