Safety of drugs during previous and current coronavirus pandemics: Lessons for IBD.

The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed challenges in the routine care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. One of the key challenges needing addressing is the quantification of the risks of immunosuppressive and biologic therapies in IBD patients during the pandemic. The similarities and differences between the previous coronavirus outbreaks and the pathobiology of the infections can give useful information in understanding the risks, and perhaps potential beneficial aspects of drugs used in IBD. Although clinical, immunological and pharmacological data from the experience with the previous coronavirus outbreaks cannot be automatically translated to predict the safety of IBD therapies during COVID-19 pandemic, the signals so far from these outbreaks on IBD patients who are on immunomodulators and biologics are reassuring to patients and clinicians alike.