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Taking Mercaptopurine - am I at high risk if I get COVID 19?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 4/28/2020 3:58 PM (GMT -5)
I'm on Mercaptopurine and aside from having some bad flare ups since I first got UC 20 and several other bad flares up I've been symptom free the past 5+ years or so and have no other physical issues. I'm in fairly good shape and under 65.

I live in an area where they are starting to open up some areas and have been invited to take a private tennis lesson. As much as I love tennis I don't think it's worth risking my life if I at a high risk if I get the virus.

Where I'd play I'd basically just get out of the car and walk onto the court where the only chance I'd be close to someone is in the parking lot. Then I'd be hitting from the opposite side the whole time and the only potential contact would be where I sit down for something to drink but I could avoid doing that. Also that I'd be holding the same tennis ball as the pro, So if I don't touch my face and use hand sanitizer after playing should I be ok?

It seems like I'd be far away from the pro, but is it worth risking my life to play tennis for an hour? What would happen if I got the virus while having UC and being on Mercaptopurine?
Posted 4/28/2020 9:25 PM (GMT -5)
You could check this thread out:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=4185676
Posted 4/29/2020 9:35 AM (GMT -5)
There is an updated report from the Ecco-IBD folks today which details their findings on IBD, immunosuppressants, and Covid-19
https://www.ecco-ibd.eu/images/6_Publication/6_8_Surveys/6th_Interview_COVID-19_ECCO_Taskforce_published.pdf

I can never make links clickable from my phone, sorry!
Posted 4/29/2020 4:34 PM (GMT -5)
From the study in the link posted here:

"Whether IBD patients carry an increased risk of COVID-19 infection and whether subjects who discontinue IBD drugs
experience disease flares leading to hospitalizations and surgeries must be further investigated."

So basically no one knows. It's so hard to try and decide what to do. It's kind of embarrassing for me to tell people I'm taking something that could put me at increased risk, but it's better to be inconvenienced and embarrassed than risk losing my life over it.

I'm thinking that I should wait at least a week and see if there is any increase in the spread or any negative effects from reopening of the courts and if there's enough supplies for everyone.
Posted 4/29/2020 6:50 PM (GMT -5)
I watch these webinars from Crohns and Colitis Canada every week. They've been collaborating world wide to understand this virus from an IBD perspective. They provide information on what level of risk they understand the various drugs put one in. The past webinars are on replay. Very interesting.
https://crohnsandcolitis.ca/about-Crohn-s-Colitis/COVID-19-and-IBD/COVID-19-Webinars
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