Psoriasis Therapy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Should Patients Continue Biologics?
Dr. Green is Clinical Professor of Dermatology, George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Psoriasis patients are reaching out to their dermatologists with concerns about taking biologics and the risk for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Dr. Lawrence Green provides his recommendation, which is for patients to continue their biologics. "If you stop your biologic, and it will take a few months for your psoriasis to come back, but when that happens, if you go back to where you were you're at much more risk for COVID-19 infection than you are right now taking your biologic and controlling your disease," he reports. If patients have had exposure to COVID-19 or develop symptoms, they should stop biologics immediately. Patients taking biologics should exercise extra precautions, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to prevent infection.