Allergy and Immunotherapy During the Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Allergy and Immunology
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread suspension of elective medical services, including allergen immunotherapy.
• Reopening medical practices necessitates protocols for resuming patient care, particularly for allergy treatments.
• Limited data exists on evidence-based protocols for restarting allergen immunotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and summarize current literature on allergen immunotherapy during a global pandemic.
• To provide guidance for allergists on resuming allergen immunotherapy services.
• To address challenges in safely restarting outpatient allergy care.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent scientific publications.
• Analysis of expert opinions and limited scientific data.
• Discussion of challenges and strategies for resuming immunotherapy.

Main Results:

• No established evidence-based protocols for resuming allergen immunotherapy exist.
• Time elapsed since the last dose is a critical factor in dose adjustment.
• Expert opinion suggests a cautious approach to restarting treatment.

Conclusions:

• Allergen immunotherapy resumption requires careful consideration of pandemic-related factors.
• Developing safe and effective protocols is essential for allergy specialists.
• Further research is needed to establish evidence-based guidelines for immunotherapy during pandemics.