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Zero COVID‐19 infection in inflammatory bowel disease patients: Findings from population‐based inflammatory bowel disease registries in Hong Kong and Taiwan
Author(s) -
Mak Joyce Wing Yan,
Weng MengTzu,
Wei Shu Chen,
Ng Siew Chien
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/jgh.15164
Subject(s) - medicine , inflammatory bowel disease , covid-19 , disease , inflammatory bowel diseases , population , gastroenterology , virology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , environmental health , outbreak
Background and Aim It is unsure whether inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a risk factor for novel coronavirus infection (COVID‐19). Methods IBD patients were identified from population‐based databases in Hong Kong and Taiwan from January 21, 2020, until April 15, 2020. Results Total 2954 and 2554 IBD patients were identified in Hong Kong and Taiwan, respectively. None had COVID‐19. Pooled analysis showed that 65.3%, 39.1%, 4.3%, and 12.8% IBD patients in Hong Kong and 75.8 %, 51.4 %, 26.1%, and 52.3 % in Taiwan were on 5‐aminosalicylates, immunomodulators, corticosteroids, and biologics, respectively. Conclusion There were no reported cases of COVID‐19 infection amongst IBD patients in Hong Kong and Taiwan. IBD patients should continue their usual medications during the COVID‐19 pandemic.