key: cord-0826015-zgdo04tr authors: Flanagan, Kelly E.; Pathoulas, James T.; Walker, Chloe J.; Pupo Wiss, Isabel M.; Ellison, Abby; Mesinkovska, Natasha Atanaskova; Senna, Maryanne M. title: Immunosuppressive therapies for alopecia areata during COVID‐19: A cross‐sectional survey study date: 2021-01-16 journal: Dermatol Ther DOI: 10.1111/dth.14762 sha: 5293faf876101c4111aa051a6b65f7d1b2328f8a doc_id: 826015 cord_uid: zgdo04tr nan Recent studies have demonstrated the safety of dermatologic immunosuppressive therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic. 1,2 These studies, however, have focused on immunosuppression in psoriasis, a disease with cardiometabolic and renal comorbidities. 3 No studies have examined immunosuppressive therapy during COVID-19 in those with alopecia areata (AA). In this cross-sectional survey study, we evaluated the effect of AA immunosuppressive therapy on COVID-19 infection as well as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on AA treatment regimens and medication access. An email survey was distributed in July 2020 to the National Alo- While AA immunosuppressive therapy did not affect COVID-19 risk in participants, COVID-19 did impact alopecia treatment. During COVID-19 7.5% of all participants changed or stopped a medication, most commonly their scalp corticosteroid injections due to clinic closure or clinic avoidance as a personal risk mitigation during the pandemic (Table 3) . Significantly more of the immunosuppressive group changed or stopped medication due to COVID-19 (17.2%) compared with the nonimmunosuppressive group (6.6%) (P = .003). In the immunosuppressive group, 10.3% stopped a medication, primarily due to immunosuppression concern during COVID-19 (66.7% Risk of COVID-19 in dermatologic patients on long-term immunomodulatory therapy Risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 infection in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis receiving a biological treatment and renal transplanted recipients in maintenance immunosuppressive treatment Psoriasis and comorbid diseases: epidemiology CDC COVID data tracker We thank the National Alopecia Areata Foundation for their help distributing the study survey. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.