Corona Virus

[Northlea]

Hi all,

Does anyone know how the corona virus would affect our ITP condition?

Thank you

Nothlea

[lsued]

Colds tend to lower my platelets. So, it can't be good.

[Anthonyh7]

Definitely it will lower the platelet count. Any virus, cold, flu, infection, etc will have a negative impact on platelet count.

As our immune system works extra hard to fight off any such infections, viruses etc it is using energy that it otherwise would to produce platelets. So inevitably the platelet count will fall.

[Northlea in reply to Anthonyh7]

Thank you. I also wandered if because our immune system is weaker that we will be an easy target for Corona virus.

[Anthonyh7 in reply to Northlea]

With ITP Yes we are and more so especially if we are being treated with any of the immune suppressing drugs like Steroids/Prednisolone, Azathioprine, Rituximab or Mycophenolate Mofetil which all weaken the immune system.

So extra care is required with any virus, infection, etc let alone one as virulent and dangerous as Corona Virus.

[Lynwoodley]

Hi when I get a cold or am ill I find that my platelets go up does anyone else finds this

[magone7 in reply to Lynwoodley]

Yes, sometimes me too.

[janran in reply to Lynwoodley]

Yes but only in response to infections. It drops when I have a viral illness.

[Ab36 in reply to Lynwoodley]

Hi, my sons platelets definitely increase when he has a virus, his consultant puts it down to his body concentrating on the virus rather than his platelets.

[Morgan in reply to Lynwoodley]

Definitely

[NickyD]

I have had a splenectomy so i am doubly prone to infections.

[LifeafterITP]

I understand if someone has had their spleen removed or are on immune suppressing drugs that they will have a weak immune response and will be more at risk from a virus or infection. For the rest of us however could we not be described as having an over active immune system as in addition to protecting us from all the normal infections our immune system is also attacking our platelets.

In fact when I was first diagnosed with ITP my Haematologist said he could not be sure it was my immune system that was the problem, it could be that my bone marrow was just not producing enough platelets. The only way for them to be sure would be to subject me to a series of bone marrow tests and there was no need to put me through that when the treatments was the same either way.

[Anthonyh7 in reply to LifeafterITP]

Correct and a very good point.

In some cases it is our lack of platelet production that means we don't have enough platelets. The only way to check that is with a bone marrow test/biopsy.

That test also checks red and white blood cell production too. ITP is complicated for sure and there is no one size fits all response/answer.

Another issue can be that platelet production /control is hampered by our liver as the substance in our bodies called thrombopietin which controls platelets is produced in the liver. Anything which hampers our liver function (excess alcohol consumption or liver disease of any kind) for example may impact on the thrombopoietin production hence then impacting on platelets.

Then there is the fact that we ITP sufferers are in general producing more platelets than most people because we keep destroying them and those newer platelets tend to be in general better at clotting and are bigger. Not always but in general. So that has to be another consideration... newness/effectiveness and size of platelet.

There are so many things to consider .......

[hamid_80386]

Immune system is not related to ITP, so try to use of more Vitamins specially A & C, use of eggs and red meet and do not going out from home if you can

Humans body don't have anti body for Corona yet, but you can prevent of it with powering you immune.

Additionally i think for people with plt more than 70 , it's not hard issue, because body has sufficient plt.

Corona kills just 2% of its infection victims, but stress may decrease you immune system and help to it, so don't have stress

[Lynney11 in reply to hamid_80386]

I beg to differ with your remark about the immune system not being related to ITP. I was under the impression that the I in ITP stands for Immune. It used to stand for Ideopathic but that was dropped a few years ago as many people with ITP do have an over active immune system, myself included. Why else would many people be on immune suppressing drugs?

[Anthonyh7]

From what I have discovered over my 14 years of ITP....

ITP is absolutely, definitely related to the immune system. In ITP our autoimmune system is basically misfiring. It is working but it is working against us by mistakenly attacking and destroying our platelets which are produced in our bone marrow along with red and white blood cells.

In some cases of ITP there may also a problem with platelet production as well as destruction so a bone marrow test/biopsy is sometimes conducted to check this.

Some people for example encounter issues with platelet production because of liver damage. The liver produces thrombopoeitin which regulates platelet production, so any damage to the liver may well impact production of thrombopoeitin and hence platelet numbers.

So in ITP it absolutely is the immune system that is out of kilter. What knocks it out of kilter is the issue that we don't or can't always get to the bottom of.

To develop ITP we must have the right genetic make up to do but just because we have that genetic make up it doesn't always mean we will develop ITP. Something else has to trigger it off/provoke it. That is the key question we need to uncover .

It is different for different people and can range from being an autoimmune response to a vaccination, virus, infection, even a cold/flu, possibly a major life changing event, environmental influences like stress, other medical problems or health issues. Truth is we just cannot be completely sure.

It's complicated but .....

Hope this helps