Newswise — (Kansas City, MO): Join the Vasculitis Foundation (VF) this Saturday, May 23, for a live Q&A webinar where vasculitis experts will discuss what they know about COVID-19 and immune-suppressed patients. The program starts at 9 a.m. Central Time.    

The webinar, “What We Know and Don’t Know: Vasculitis and COVID-19,” will feature top vasculitis physicians and researchers, who will provide an overview of what is known about COVID-19 and immune-compromised patients, such as those with vasculitis. Following a discussion, they will answer as many questions as possible from the audience.  

Vasculitis is a family of rare autoimmune diseases characterized by inflammation of the blood vessels, which can restrict blood flow and damage vital organs and tissues. Triggers can include infection, medication, genetic or environmental factors, allergic reactions, or other diseases, however the exact cause is often unknown. There is no cure yet for this disease. 

Webinar presenters include: 

  • Kevin Byram, MD, Director, Vanderbilt Vasculitis Clinic; Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
  • Anisha B. Dua, MD, MPH, Director, Northwestern Vasculitis Center; Associate Professor of Medicine, Rheumatology; Director, Fellowship Program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 
  • Ulrich Specks, MD, Chair, Pulmonary Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
  • Jason Springer, MD, MS, Director, University of Kansas (KU) Vasculitis Center; Assistant Professor, Allergy, Clinical Immunology, and Rheumatology; KU Medical Center, The University of Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas 

The webinar is part of the VF’s Vasculitis Awareness Month 2020 activities, specially tailored for these times of social distancing.

Please register for the webinar here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_E23UD-NPQiSgVXxwHx2T0g

About the Vasculitis FoundationSince 1986, the Vasculitis Foundation has empowered patients through disease education, raising vasculitis awareness in the general public and medical community, and funding research to determine the cause, develop better treatments, and discover a cure.  

The VF is committed to improving the lives of current and future patients and is positioned as the definitive resource for patients, family members, medical professionals, and researchers seeking information about vasculitis.