VIENNA, VA, May 5, 2020 – For 35 years, Allergy & Asthma Network has been at the forefront of patient-centered, guidelines-based asthma and allergy care. As part of celebrating this anniversary, as well as Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month and World Asthma Day, the Network is hosting events and launching new initiatives to engage, educate and empower patients and healthcare professionals.
“Even as we celebrate this milestone, new challenges arise every day,” Allergy & Asthma President and CEO Tonya Winders says. “The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting millions of people with asthma, allergies and other respiratory diseases. Allergy & Asthma Network has been a leader in producing compelling educational resources, webinars and programs to help people better understand these chronic conditions and improve access to care.”
Allergy & Asthma Network also announces that Tonya Winders has been selected as the first patient advocate member to Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), an ongoing collaboration between National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization. GINA helps shape strategies for asthma care around the world.
The Network’s events and initiatives planned for May include an “Asthma and COVID-19” webinar on World Asthma Day, Allergy & Asthma Day Capitol Hill Virtual Advocacy Day, the launch of a telehealth coach program and the opportunity to collect data in innovative research projects.
World Asthma Day – May 5
Asthma affects 24+ million in the United States and 340+ million worldwide. Asthma flares can lead to emergency department visits, hospitalization and even deaths. If diagnosed with COVID-19, people with asthma are at higher risk for more severe complications, such as life-threatening pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
On May 5, Allergy & Asthma Network hosted a special World Asthma Day webinar – “Asthma and COVID-19: Lessons Learned and a Look Forward.” Board-certified allergists Purvi Parikh, MD and Jacqueline Eghrari-Sabet, MD, joined the webinar to discuss the latest on asthma and COVID-19, telehealth and more as they explore the pandemic’s impact on the healthcare system and respiratory patients.
Telehealth Coach Program
The Network recognizes the need to increase access to quality care and support patients in their journey of living with these conditions. Starting May 5, the Network will partner with digital health company VitalFlo to offer online care on a new telehealth platform located at AANTelehealth.Amwell.com.
Through the partnership, VitalFlo is helping the Network’s asthma coaches deliver better care and education with technology solutions for remote monitoring of client lung function, symptoms and air quality.
COVID-19 has accelerated the use of telehealth and the Network will soon offer virtual visits with food allergy coaches and board-certified allergists.
Allergy & Asthma Day Capitol Hill Virtual Advocacy Day – May 20
In response to COVID-19, Allergy & Asthma Day Capitol Hill is going virtual in 2020. Join the Network online as we advocate for patients and share information and testimonials with members of Congress on policies impacting patient care.
Advocates across the country can participate by attending a webcast lunch briefing and through letters, phone calls and social media posts to let your voice be heard.
The Network’s 2020 federal platform addresses key issues such as expanding access to care with more affordable treatments; providing continued asthma and allergy program funding to federal agencies; and requiring airlines to carry epinephrine auto-injectors to respond to an anaphylaxis emergency.
The Network is also urging Congress to fund critical healthcare needs related to COVID-19 and continues to engage with stakeholders to urge protection for those with underlying medical conditions and the healthcare workforce working around the clock to save lives.
Register for #AADCH2020 Virtual Advocacy now!
COVID-19 Information Center and Registry
Allergy & Asthma Network is committed to providing patients and providers with the latest updates on the pandemic while keeping its community safe. Please visit our COVID-19 information center.
Many lives have been upended due to the pandemic and to learn more about its impact on communities nationwide, the Network has launched a COVID-19 registry. By taking a brief survey, participants gain insights into how the pandemic is affecting their community and aid public health and research. Sign up for the registry at AllergyAsthmaNetwork.org/covid-registry
New, Enhanced Website
The Network will officially unveil its revamped website on May 20. The new site will feature a fresh, reenergized design, enhanced content and user-friendly navigation for both desktop and mobile platforms.
How do you tell the difference between COVID-19 and allergies? What is the latest on severe asthma? What do you need to know when traveling with food allergies? How to break the ‘itch-scratch cycle’ of eczema? Find out answers to these questions and more.
The new website provides a wealth of easy-to-access, guidelines-based content while also integrating key programs and news from core mission areas of outreach, education, advocacy and research.
Research Opportunities
Allergy & Asthma Network works alongside leading health professionals to advance research studies. In May, the Network is launching a new patient research registry and recruiting patients for a survey on cannabis use.
On May 20, the Network will launch its Asthma360 Patient Research Registry. The goal of the registry is to gather information through surveys to help improve patients’ lives.
With cannabis use reportedly on the rise, the Network is currently seeking adult patients to participate in a survey to help doctors better understand its impact, craft position statements and develop tools accordingly. Take the survey now!
About Allergy & Asthma Network
Allergy & Asthma Network is the leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending needless death and suffering due to asthma, allergies and related conditions. The Network specializes in sharing practical, patient-friendly, medically reviewed information through its award-winning Allergy & Asthma Today magazine, AllergyAsthmaNetwork.org, E-newsletter and numerous community outreach programs.
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