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WDO Webinar 2 on COVID-19: on steroids, supplements and possible treatments

In weekly WDO Webinars, we ask DMD experts and clinicians to share their knowledge. Each time, we are collecting the frequently asked questions from the community. This week, we invited Dr. Wong and Prof. De Luca to share their expertise on the use of steroids, supplements and possible treatments regarding the new coronavirus. The full webinar report can be found here. 

What we know about COVID-19

At our previous webinar, we had Professor Mercuri, Professor Muntoni, Professor Finder and professor Goemans to share their opinions on questions we gathered from the community. You can find therecording together with the report here. To summarise these insights, we created a list of 15 things we know so far about COVID19 in relation to Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy.

Clinical trials

Until now, there was a lot of uncertainty with regard to how EMA and FDA would deal with issues around clinical trials. Both agencies have now shared documents to provide guidance on how to manage the conduct of clinical trials in COVID-19 times. At the same time, sponsors and companies are sending us their plans and schedules, which can be found on the WDO live feed.

The webinar is available in the following translations:

In this webinar, Dr. Jarod Wong, endocrinologist at the University of Glasgow, shares his expertise according to the following questions:

  • What is the effect of steroids on the immune system?
  • What is the effect of steroids and COVID-19 infection in DMD?
  • Should I stop steroids in this instance then?
  • Is there anything extra you need to do if on steroids during (COVID) illness?
  • What do you need to consider if admitted to hospital?
  • Where can I or my treating doctor find more information?
  • My son was supposed to start steroids now. Should I wait until the pandemic is over?
  • How do I convince my doctor/hospital to listen to me?

Next to this, Prof. Dr. Annamaria De Luca, pharmacologist in Italy, shares her knowledge on supplements and possible treatments. She discusses the following questions:

  • Any immune boosting drugs, vitamins, supplements to fight/lighten infection?
  • Is it true steroids might have a positive effect on COVID-19?
  • What is the best drug to treat fever in case of COVID-19?
  • Is chloroquine useful for treating the infection? Is it safe in DMD patients?
  • Are there any drugs used when a subject is infected with COVID-19?