Amy Moore, PhD @amoorephd of GO2 Foundation of Lung Cancer @GO2Foundation discusses the intersection of COVID-19 and lung cancer patients.

The coronavirus disease, called COVID-19, is in the minds of many people at the front and centre. For so many this is troubling, particularly for cancer patients and their families. Now declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic, the majority of people who develop COVID-19 experience only mild symptoms, including colds. WHO says that 80 percent of COVID-19 people are recovering without needing any specialist care.

According to the CDC, some groups, including elderly adults and people with significant chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease, are at greater risk of being very ill. Cancer patients are among those at high risk of serious infection, since cancer and its therapies also weaken their immune systems. Patients and their carers need to take steps to reduce their risk of COVID-19.

The GO2 Lung Cancer Foundation is closely tracking recent outbreak-related developments. The organization is one of the largest international philanthropies committed exclusively to the eradication of lung cancer through research, early detection, awareness and treatment.