PA and Coronavirus: PAS (Pernicious... - Pernicious Anaemi...

Pernicious Anaemia Society

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PA and Coronavirus

Sleepybunny profile image
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PAS (Pernicious Anaemia Society) recent news item

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Sleepybunny profile image
Sleepybunny
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Gambit62 profile image
Gambit62Administrator

Thank you Sleepybunny.

The important thing is to put things in perspective. At present those who have compromised respiratory function seem to be most at risk.

The virus and how it is transmitted and works is still being worked out. Scientists have identified two strains so far - one is more aggressive than the other and it is the less aggressive strain that seems to be the one that is spreading. 80% of people will experience only very mild symptoms and some may not even notice that they had the infection - which is what makes it so easy for it to spread.

The government is currently advising anyone who has been to high risk countries to self isolate themselves for 14 days which covers the period in which symptoms would appear and the virus could be passed on.

The constant coverage in the media isn't necessarily helpful as it focuses people on the risk and can lead to that risk appearing much greater than it is. At present the risk of Covid-19 ( the particular variant of coronavirus that is spreading) is a great deal less than the risk from other things we do on a daily basis such as driving a car or crossing the road.

fbirder profile image
fbirder in reply toGambit62

It appears the risk is much, much greater than we are being told.

The government reckons there may be 10,000 cases in the UK.

A doctor reckons we are nowhere near the worst of it. independent.co.uk/voices/co...

Boris Johnson says we are a couple of weeks behind Italy

Italy has just passed 1000 deaths. Italy has more ITU beds that the UK. Italy does not have a shortage of 50,000 nurses. Italy has closed the whole country.

fbirder profile image
fbirder

That seems to assume that people with PA have a compromised immune system. But PA is caused by an overactive immune system.

I can think of no reason why those with PA should be any more at risk that anybody else.

ClareG77 profile image
ClareG77 in reply tofbirder

This is what confused me? I also have autoimmune thyroid disease and they are saying no greater risk, I thought it was an immune response but maybe thats the problem if the virus gets into our lungs and we then overreact to it? I wish someone knew this?

fbirder profile image
fbirder in reply toClareG77

Your immune system will almost certainly not react to the covid-19 virus. That is one of the really bad things about it - nobody has encountered it before so nobody will have antibodies to it.

ClareG77 profile image
ClareG77 in reply tofbirder

Yes I know that, but are we with auto immune pa and thyroid disease more susceptible to the severe cases of it?

fbirder profile image
fbirder in reply toClareG77

No.

fbirder profile image
fbirder in reply tofbirder

According to this paper - karger.com/Article/Abstract... - people with a B12 deficiency may have a weakened immune system, but it recovers with treatment.

Gambit62 profile image
Gambit62Administrator in reply toClareG77

The mechanisms by which the virus operates aren't, as far as I am aware, fully understood yet but it does seem that deaths are associated with people who already had compromised respiratory function.

Auto-immunity occurs when something goes wrong with immune responses and rather than keeping out infections it starts attacking something that you actually need, and this is what I would understand by saying that people with auto-immune disorders have a compromised immune system. This doesn't mean that all auto-immune disorders will result in a particular susceptibility to a given virus. The list of people deemed to be at particular risk with this virus currently includes those with/particular susceptibility to respiratory problems or whose immune system is already trying to fight off a respiratory problem.

People who are B12 deficient are more susceptible to infections but if you are properly treated I wouldn't expect PA of itself to be a problem (given current understanding) unless it is accompanied by another problem such as diabetes. As far as I am aware the same should be true of auto-immune disorders affecting the thyroid.

Suggest that you continue to monitor information provided by your national government and follow good hygiene such as hand-washing

ClareG77 profile image
ClareG77 in reply toGambit62

Thank you so much for explaining it all. Thats sort of what I was thinking. As a PA and Hypothyroid patient (both managed) I found myself picking up colds and horrendous laryngitis a lot more before diagnosis.

Mashie44 profile image
Mashie44 in reply tofbirder

shortly after diagnosis with b12d I had neutropenia and low white cell count - i was told it was because of b12d. I had flu around the same time, and took 3 months to recover (could hardly get out of bed & felt like a victorian novel heroine, fading away). The idea of catching flu with that sort of blood problem frightens me now... that's where I'd see a connection but also see your point...

fbirder profile image
fbirder in reply toMashie44

Yes, it is true that somebody with a B12 deficiency that is untreated may have a compromised immune system. But it soon recovers with treatment.

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