Psoriasis Central

• Current data suggests that treatments for psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis do not meaningfully alter the risks of contracting COVID-19.
• Patients with psoriasis often present with comorbid conditions, such as diabetes, obesity or chronic heart, lung or kidney disease. These comorbidities have been shown to increase the possibility of poor outcomes from COVID-19.
• Patients with psoriasis who receive their COVID-19 booster vaccine can continue their biologic or oral therapies for psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis in most cases.
• According to the National Psoriasis Foundation website, 125 million people worldwide, including more than 8 million people in the U.S., have psoriasis.
• The prevalence of psoriasis is greater in white Americans compared with Black Americans (3.6% vs. 1.5%).
• Psoriasis can develop at any age, but often appears when someone is aged 15 to 25 years.
• There are five types of psoriasis: plaque psoriasis, guttate psoriasis, inverse psoriasis, pustular psoriasis and erythrodermic psoriasis.
• It is possible to have more than one type of psoriasis at a time.
• Around 30% of patients with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis.
• Psoriasis is associated with comorbidities, such as diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, stroke and depression.
• A child with one parent who has psoriasis has about a 10% chance of developing the disease; however, if both parents have psoriasis, a child is about 50% more likely to develop the disease.
• Psoriasis can be mild, moderate or severe: mild psoriasis affects less than 3% of the body; moderate affects 3% to 10%; and severe affects more than 10%.
• Nearly 25% of people with psoriasis have moderate to severe disease.
• Psoriasis can appear anywhere, but typically affects the outside of the elbows, knees or scalp.

References:

National Psoriasis Foundation. About Psoriasis. https://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis. Updated Nov. 19, 2021. Accessed April 25, 2022.

National Psoriasis Foundation. Statistics. https://www.psoriasis.org/content/statistics. Updated Oct. 10, 2020. Accessed April 25, 2022.

National Psoriasis Foundation. COVID-19 Task Force Guidance Statements. https://www.psoriasis.org/covid-19-task-force-guidance-statements/. Updated April 8, 2022. Accessed April 26, 2022.