IST Management understands the growing concerns within our country about the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. With apprehensions for our fellow man and woman, we begin to think about a community we support and recognize as one of the higher risk categories, the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) community of patients and their family and friends that care for them each day. Cystic Fibrosis is a progressive, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time. One of the key factors of Coronavirus is that it causes an intense lung infection. While most Coronavirus patients who are young to middle aged are recovering with less severe symptoms, for the CF patient, this destructive combination of lung issues is extremely dangerous.
Evidence has shown that people with underlying health conditions, including lung disease, seem to be at greater risk of serious illness from COVID-19. For the CF community this is detrimental. Many CF patients do not live past the average age of 37 years, so it is of the upmost importance that they and those close to them should continue taking precautions to keep themselves healthy and follow the CDC’s guidance for those at-higher risk. While little is known of the impact of the Coronavirus specifically on lung disease in CF patients, there is evidence that it would be very aggressive.
IST will continue to support our CF community, near and far. While we may be forced to miss out on the organized walks throughout the country we won’t sit idle. We set a goal to raise funds for our CF community and we will continue to strive for that goal. We will work hard while maintaining a safe distance to meet the amount we pledged to achieve. In the meantime, please help keep our CF loved ones and their caregivers healthy through this time. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has laid out guidelines along with the CDC on protocol, but we too would like to take this opportunity to help communicate the information and with all our efforts, lessen the impact on our beloved CF family.
