Coronavirus Information for the COPD Community

Members of the PERF Board are carefully monitoring the outbreak of novel coronavirus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Some board members are physicians, working on the front lines in intensive care units or hospital wards to help combat the pandemic – putting themselves and their immediate family members in harm’s way. We join the global community in giving our utmost thanks to the selfless actions of all those who are directly interacting with those potentially exposed to the virus.

Others among the board are actively helping to keep you informed about COVID-19 through these blog posts. The COPD Foundation, based in Washington DC, has put out a series of webinar recordings and other materials, that are supported by their medical experts to help ensure that accurate information is shared with our community. The global situation changes daily and the World Health Organization updates their COVID-19 recommendations for the public regularly. We also encourage you to visit the CDC website for high-risk populations and check in with your state health department’s website for local information. The COPD Foundation also has regular updates and answers to questions from the COPD community in their blog post.

During this time of social distancing, many COPD patients have minimal access to pulmonary rehabilitation. The COPD Foundation partnered with the American Thoracic Society and the American Lung Association and published a patient information sheet in the April issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM). Exercise is so important at this time of global crisis. The COPD Foundation has an updated page on Exercise for Someone with COPD, that contains help from experts to make sure everyone keeps moving.

Yet more PERF board members are directly involved in research that aims to better understand the impact of COVID-19 in those with a smoking history, individuals who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Others are developing research studies to better diagnose monitor and treat those infected.

This is where WE WANT YOU TO GET INVOLVED. The COPD Foundation is running a survey that aims to delve into the impact of the global pandemic on you. Your participation is of the utmost importance, as we try to discover just how COVID-19 is affecting the COPD community and the special needs that are present in our community.

We hope that you will share your experiences and sentiments with The COPD Foundation by completing this survey by the end of next week. Your responses will help us better understand your needs and therefore develop strategies to help those suffering from COPD during pandemics.

Please take a few minutes to help our community. Below is a direct link to the COPD Foundation survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BPQWNWL

On behalf of all the PERF board, thank you for your continued efforts to help those with COPD and your healthcare community.

Keep safe and well!

Harry Rossiter, PhD

PERF Board member