Thank you to KG for bringing this to my attention this evening. Colby Cosh In the National Post March 21, 2020: “If you take drugs for high blood pressure, you might have noticed some nervous speculative mumbling about possible interactions between the virus and the drugs.” He raises a similar question about corticosteroids. Is it possible?
Dear Robert Shour,
It depends on what specific medications they take for certain other conditions. Are these chronic or other diseases? Are these drugs with a negative side effect or are they so-called dietary supplements? Are these traditional medicines or rather herbal medicines? How long have you been taking medicine for? Can the drugs used be combined with certain antiviral therapies? etc. i.e. many other questions arise that need to be answered by analyzing the specific situation of a specific person taking specific medications for specific diseases. Therefore, individual consultation with a specialist doctor in a specific medical field and / or specialist doctor in the field of respiratory viral infections is necessary.
Best wishes.
Dariusz Prokopowicz
Some type of medications can weaken the immune system such as immune-compromised and chemotherapy treatment. If a patient takes one of them, they are certainly at high risk of being infected as they are more prone for that due to their suppressed immune systems.
https://www.jwatch.org/fw116456/2020/03/17/heart-groups-patients-with-covid-19-should-continue-ace
Any drugs that lower the immunity can lead to increased risk of SARS-COV-2 infection and COVID-19 deaths.
The major groups of patients who are using these medications are:
1. Collagen vascular diseases (SLE, Rheumatoid arthritis, Polymyositis etc) - using corticosteroids, Azathioprine, Cyclophosphamide, Methotrexate etc.
2. Patients with cancer and on chemotherapy - all these drugs suppress the immunity
3. Patients having organ transplantation (Kidney, liver, heart, bone marrow) on drugs to avoid rejection of the donor organ
4. Certain skin, blood, lung, and vascular disorders who also need these drugs on long-term basis
However, diseases like Hypertension, diabetes, and lung or renal diseases that cause vascular damage in the heart, kidneys, brain, and lungs causes increases chances of having COVID-19. Drugs used for these diseases do not cause increase risk unless they belong to one of the groups as mentioned earlier.
Preexisting Bronchial asthma, Diabetes and Heart diseases are risk factors for COVID-19 patients, it is likely that patients would be on drugs for these diseases.
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