[Medical management and prevention instruction of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease during the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic].

Abstract

Currently, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was of clustering onset in China and challenging to the Chinese healthcare system. Epidemiological data showed that the older patients with chronic commodities were at high risk of the involvement of the severe and critical type of COVID-19, especially patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) resulting in high mortalities. There were nearly 100 million COPD patients in China, and most of them were the elderly. Once infected with COVID-19, it would be life-threatening for the COPD patients. Therefore, during the epidemic, it was of vital significance for us to attach great importance to optimize the management of COPD patients. Based on these considerations, the COPD Group of the Chinese Thoracic Society (CTS) and the COPD working Committee of the Chinese Association of Chest Physicians (CACP) altogether drafted the instruction for medical management and prevention of COPD during the COVID-19 epidemic period for the healthcare practitioner and patients.