Scientists and physicians in the UK, working with an international coalition of experts and organizations, have launched a web-based registry that will gather health information on people with psoriasis who develop confirmed or suspected COVID-19/coronavirus. The results, if enough doctors participate, could provide important information in the treatment of both psoriatic disease and coronavirus. The “PsoProtect” registry website is at https://psoprotect.org.

Registries work when they have broad participation and are carefully compiled. Psoriasis patients who come down with COVID-19 should inform their health care provider about PsoProtect, provide the web address, and urge their physician to participate in the free registry, which is simple to use and takes only about 5-8 minutes to complete. The aggregate information will be made available to health care researchers and the public to inform treatment decisions for both conditions.

Of course, the data in registries has all sorts of limitations, coming as it does from a random assortment of health care practitioners and the cases they happen to report. Still, researchers have learned to cull meaningful data from the cacophony of voices that contribute to each registry.

NOTE TO AMERICANS: There has been, so far, very little U.S. participation in this registry (which, of course, is new and has only 105 cases at the time of this update). Let’s get the word out about this potentially valuable resource.

Other registries related to COVID-19 include:

http://www.covidderm.org/ (atopic dermatitis [eczema] and COVID-19)

https://rheum-covid.org/ (rheumatology and COVID-19); and

https://covidibd.org/ (inflammatory bowel disease [Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis] and COVID-19).

Interestingly, among the first 100 cases reported to the PsoProtect registry; while a majority paused their systemic psoriasis medication – pills, injections, infusions – during their COVID-19 infection, at least a third did not. While each case is different, and all changes to your treatment schedule should be first discussed with your health care provider; it is generally felt by experts that when possible, systemic psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis meds should be paused once COVID-19 is confirmed or suspected. If you suspect you may have coronavirus, call your general care practitioner and your dermatologist (or rheumatologist) as soon as possible.

Further information:

More on psoriasis and coronavirus.

Peer-reviewed draft article on PsoProtect from the British Journal of Dermatology.

[Last updated: 5/8/2020]