Monday morning news: “According to the Surgeon General, America will be hard hit with the virus this week.” Hmph. Happy Monday. This doesn’t even feel like a bad sci-fi movie anymore. Two weeks ago we did not have a single case of COVID19 in Arkansas. Today, there are 176 confirmed cases. Not one medical team in the state has enough PPE and no one has enough tests. And, Arkansas is not alone, the story is the same throughout the nation. “Luckily” we were one of the last states to confirm the virus and that has given us a bit of an edge in watching data and trends. Governor Asa Hutchinson, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, and so many other leaders across the state have done a tremendous job of keeping us informed, safe, and healthy.
Everyone I know is concerned and there is a strong chance we will all know someone personally impacted by this virus. We have heard a lot about those with compromised immune systems and I have watched the Sjogren’s, Celiac, Arthritis, and Lupus websites consistently over the past few weeks. One piece of information that seems to be consistent is that having Sjogren’s, Celiac, RA, or Lupus does not put you at a higher risk of contracting COVID19; however, if you DO contract the virus, then your risk of complications rises exponentially.
Below are resources and information for Sjogren’s, Celiac, RA, and Lupus.
- Sjogren’s Syndrome Foundation – https://www.sjogrens.org/news/578-coronavirus-covid-19-update-march-20-2020
- Celiac Disease Foundation – https://www.sjogrens.org/news/578-coronavirus-covid-19-update-march-20-2020
- Arthritis Foundation – https://arthritis.org/about-us/news-and-updates/coronavirus-and-arthritis-what-you-need-to-know
- Lupus Foundation of America – https://www.lupus.org/resources/coronavirus-and-lupus