Erica Brenner, MD: What We've Learned about IBD Patients with COVID-19

Initially, it was believed that these symptoms present in only a small number of patients, but since that time the knowledge has grown to where it is now believed nearly two-thirds of COVID-19 patients do experience some gastrointestinal symptoms.

There was also some concerns when the pandemic began whether inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients who are being treated with immunosuppressants might be more susceptible to some of the more negative outcomes associated with COVID-19.

While that is not true for all, there has been reports that patients taking corticosteroids have fared worse than the general population.

In an interview with HCPLive®, Erica Brenner, MD, Pediatric Gastroenterology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, explained how our knowledge of the disease and how it has impacted gastroenterology patients has changed over the course of the last 6 months.

Brenner is a part of the SECURE-IBD registry which helps researchers share data on the connections between IBD and COVID-19 in an effort to consistently update guidance and recommendations that reflect the current data.