Cancer and COVID-19: Here’s what you must know so far

Effects of Covid-19 on Cancer: Here’s what you must know

Covid-19 has shaken the world around us. In these unprecedented times when there’s danger from every side, being a cancer patient can be terrifying. Many cancer patients have suffered from a higher risk of coronavirus due to their withering immunity system. The growing fear, anxiety, and unawareness have taken a toll on everyone’s life, not just on people with cancers. However, we are in this together and united, we can make each other’s life a lot better.

Today, we’ll uncover all the essential information you need to understand between COVID-19 and cancer. And the impacts of covid-19 on cancer patients, caregivers, and treatment options we can take to uncomplicate things.

What is coronavirus?

After reading thousands of articles each claiming to hold new data about this newborn fatal disease, coronavirus isn’t a mystery anymore. It’s an infectious disease caused by a new type of coronavirus. A coronavirus is a group of viruses, each causing some or other health problems. Some cause cold, and flu while the other result in severe damage to breathing or respiratory systems. Depending on your immunity, the virus can or can’t hinder your health.

The most prominent factor of this deadly disease is that it’s contagious, spreading from person to person. It spreads through a sneeze, cough, or by talking or singing loudly. Any type of physical contact with a coronavirus-positive person can lead to spreading to you.

How risky is covid-19 for cancer patients?

Covid-19 isn’t a piece of good news to anyone, especially not for people with cancers. You are at a higher risk of getting covid-19 if you suffer from cancer. It has a lot to do with the weakened immune system resulting from cancer. Our immune system is highly essential for the protection of the body from foreign damage like viruses, bacteria, and other germs. It battles out numerous infections, and diseases if the immunity is powerful.

More than 89 cancer patients have been subjected to ICU due to covid-19 with a mortality rate of 36%, according to Michael Dang, MD at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. However, there’s a ray of hope, cancer with coronavirus is SURVIVABLE.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19 with cancer?

The symptoms of COVID-19 to a cancer patient are nothing sort of different from the general population. Here are the symptoms associated with cancer:

• Increase in body temperature than 37.8C
• Extreme and continuous coughing (Lasting more than 3 to 4 hours)
• Loss of taste and smell
• Fever and fatigue
• Trouble in breathing

If you notice such symptoms in your body, then immediately contact your chemotherapy helpline or the oncology service.

What are preventive measures against COVID-19 as a cancer patient?

Cancer patients at a higher stage or the most vulnerable ones are extremely at great risk of developing COVID-19. Known as the most vulnerable group. If you identify with it, then as per the government instruction, you must take special preventive measures to ensure your health and immunity strength.
People who are the most vulnerable includes:

• Undergoing chemotherapy
• Undergoing radical radiotherapy for lung cancer
• Suffering from bone marrow cancer like leukemia, myeloma, and lymphoma
• Undergoing targeted cancer treatments that affect the immune system, like protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors.
• Enduring immunotherapy or continued antibody treatments for cancer
• Gone through bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months or prescribed immune suppression drugs.

Vital everyday precautions to take

Wash your hands: Cleanliness must be the top priority against the covid-19 spread. Regularly wash your hands and at consistent hours. Don’t use soaps, use the hand wash bottles as it’s a much cleaner and safer option. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds each day and finish it by using a sanitiser.

Avoid Touch: Get rid of touching your face, nose or eyes, as much as it is possible. Public places and areas are equally contagious, like the metro, bus, auto or restaurants while things like elevators, doorknobs require touching, so try to limit it.

Maintain distance: The two meters of long-distance must continue for a long period. Despite it’s at home or a workplace, coming in close contact with anyone can promote the spread of the disease.

Stay Indoors: We can understand the quarantine period was extremely exhausting, both mentally and physically. But to overcome the global pandemic, we must continue staying indoors while protecting each other. So, cancel all non-importance travels and tour plans including your holidays to prioritize your health and safety of others.

Wear a mask: Nothing’s more important than sealing the entrance of the viruses entering your body – the mouth and the nose. You must wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose, properly while stepping out for mandatory work.

How to manage cancer screening in COVID-19?

The onset of COVID-19 forced various medicare centres to shut. It resulted in a great reduction in cancer screening all this while. Even mandatory measures like cancer screening have ceased to reduce the risk of coronavirus spread among each other. Although for good cause, screening must be done. Fortunately, with things dissolving back to normal and businesses are reopening along with less restriction, you can visit places to do a cancer screening test.

If you’ve missed your screening test then reschedule or talk to your healthcare professionals for better timing. Discussing with your healthcare provider, over a phone call or video chat indicates the risk and benefits of getting a screening in the current environment. Depending on the situation of people and calculating the risk to step outside, helps to decide if you’d want to postpone it or not.

Be careful about your decision as cancer screening is a life saviour, it’s important to get a checkup. Not right now, but after a while, opting for cancer screening must be your top-most priority.

FAQ’S on Cancer in times of COVID-19

If you had cancer and got treated, is there still a risk from COVID-19?

Globally, the only threat to billions of lives is the coronavirus, no matter what weight, race, gender or country you are from. People with cancer are at great risk of getting Covid due to their weakened immunity from cancer and it’s treatment.

If your cancer treatment is complete, then your immune system would take time to recover from its weak condition. People who’ve suffered from cancer in history, are equally, in fact extremely vulnerable groups to acquire COVID-19.

What to do if you’ve symptoms of Covid-19, as a cancer patient?

If you notice similar symptoms of COVID-19 in your body, then reach out to your treatment of cancer or oncologist to report and state your condition. There’s no need to panic or worry. Once the doctor comes to know about your situation, you’ll be recommended with the right solution tailored to your needs.

Should I hurry or wait for cancer treatment in the pandemic?

The answer to opting or delaying cancer treatment depends on your situation. Discussing and calculating the risk of COVID-19 with the risk of cancer progression would paint a bigger picture of the importance of seeking treatment. When you weigh the risk and benefits of your situation, treatment timing won’t be a problem anymore.

While calculating the risk, your cancer diagnosis, health, and age play a major factor. If you’re an older adult, that has a slow progression of cancer, then holding off the cancer is a sensible decision, only if you have a communal spread of the virus. But, if you’re much younger and have aggressive cancer development then immediate treatment is the right decision.

Book an appointment with the Best Cancer Specialist at Oncoplus Hospital.