The post below is shared with permission. It can also be found on the websites of the lung cancer advocacy organizations listed at the end of this blog post.

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We hope that all of you had a peaceful Labor Day holiday.  This week marks the six-month anniversary of when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic (March 11). As of September 7, 2020, cases in the US have surpassed the 6 million mark, with over 186,000 deaths.

Nationally, new cases appear to be on a decline but pockets of high COVID activity remain. The figure below shows which states have the most new daily cases and the relative degree of community spread versus containment of the virus:

PSA: Get your flu shots!

 With the arrival of September, we are strongly recommending that all eligible patients and caregivers get their annual flu shot this year! Public health experts are particularly concerned about the potential for patients to get infected with both influenza and SARS-CoV-2 this winter. Additionally, since the symptoms for these two viruses are similar, many patients experiencing flu-like symptoms may flood already overtaxed healthcare systems. Many doctors’ offices and pharmacies already have flu shots available. It’s also important to remember that it takes approximately two weeks from receiving the shot to have adequate protection. So please make a plan to get your shot as soon as possible.

Some patients, particularly those on checkpoint inhibitors, may be concerned about whether they can take the flu shot – we always recommend asking your doctor but previous studies suggest that it is safe for patients.

We want to hear from you!

We are interested in knowing what topics we should cover in future updates. Please share your thoughts with us by taking this short (1-2 minute) anonymous survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LungAdvocacy_COVID19_needs

Resources and websites:

1. IASLC’s Guide to COVID-19 and Lung Cancer
2. National Cancer Institute website “Coronavirus: What People with Cancer Should Know“
3. We are following updates provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
4. Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Resource Center
5. Interactive map of US COVID-19 cases by state
6. The One-Two Punch: Cancer And COVID-19 (an important perspective for cancer patients)
7. You can find information specific to your state or city or town on your health department’s website:
   Directory of state department of health websites
   Directory of local health department websites
8. American Medical Association resources for healthcare providers

GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer (Amy Moore, PhD – amoore@go2foundation.org)
LUNGevity Foundation (Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH – ubasuroy@lungevity.org)
Lung Cancer Foundation of America (Kim Norris – KNorris@lcfamerica.org)
Lung Cancer Research Foundation (Cristina Chin, LMSW, MPH – cchin@lcrf.org)
LungCAN (Kimberly Lester – kimberly@lungcan.org)