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TheFightIsInUs: A campaign focusing on recruiting COVID-19 survivors to donate plasma at licensed blood and plasma donor centers. The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD®) COVID-19 Critical Relief Program offers financial relief to members of the rare disease community affected by the COVID-19 pandemic FDA resources to help address questions patients may have about FDA-regulated medical products (drugs, biologics, devices) and COVID-19 CDC resources for managing anxiety and stress Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America International FPIES Association Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team Mastocytosis Society Message from Nutricia North America (makers of Neocate formula) Press Release from Takeda Pharmaceuticals on Patient Assistance During COVID-19 and Expanded Patient Assistance Statement

All posts by Jen Roeder

5 Ways to Make an Impact During National Eosinophil Awareness Week

May 5, 2021Announcements, APFED Blog, What's NewJen Roeder

Show your support for those who live with eosinophil-associated diseases and educate others about these conditions during National Eosinophil Awareness Week – May 16-22, 2021.

The purpose of this special week is to create awareness and educate both the general public and medical community about eosinophil-associated diseases.

In 2007, the third week of May was officially recognized as National Eosinophil Awareness Week when the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Bill 296.

Here are five suggested activities to do during awareness week (and some that you can start doing now) to help educate people about these conditions:

Learn about and share facts about eosinophil-associated diseases through social media. Check out our new “What is an Eosinophil-Associated Disease?” video and awareness images. Include #NEAW and #eosaware in your posts.

Update your Facebook profile picture using the National Eosinophil Awareness Week frame.

Purchase a Heroes Bring Hope t-shirt or sweatshirt to show your support for eosinophil-associated diseases throughout the year. These exclusive items are only being sold from now through May 22, so order yours today. A portion of the sales will support APFED’s HOPE on the Horizon research program.

Paint a rock with an eosinophil-associated disease awareness message and hide it for others to find. This is a great activity for all ages. We have a special certificate you can print out to recognize your participation (a great incentive for kids)!

Print out this sign, fill in why you are #eosaware, and take a selfie while holding it up for others to see. Then post the selfie on social media and include the hashtags #NEAW and #eosaware to help other people in your network learn about eosinophil-associated diseases. (We will be encouraging people to do this on Saturday, May 22 for #SelfieSaturday, but you can do this at any time.)

We have even more ideas and resources to help you make an impact during National Eosinophil Awareness Week available at apfed.org/NEAW. Whatever you choose to do, make sure to share your support for awareness week and eosinophilic disorders on social media and include #NEAW and #eosaware in your posts.

Throughout awareness week we will also be sharing opportunities to win awareness items on social media. We will post details about how to enter the giveaways on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter beginning on Sunday, May 16, 2021. Make sure to follow us!

Education partners

Special thanks to our education partners for supporting APFED’s National Eosinophil Awareness Week 2021 celebration!

New Resource for Eosinophilic Asthma

April 13, 2021Announcements, APFED Blog, Education, What's NewJen Roeder

Eosinophilic asthma is a subtype of asthma that is difficult to control with traditional asthma medications. With this type of asthma, the numbers of eosinophils – a type of white blood cell – are increased in blood, lung tissue, and mucus coughed up from the respiratory tract. The whole respiratory tract is involved in airflow obstruction from the sinuses to the small airways. It is sometimes also called type 2 (Th2) asthma, eos asthma, or e-asthma.

To help people learn about eosinophilic asthma and how it is diagnosed, treated, and managed, the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED) and Allergy & Asthma Network, both national 501(c)(3) patient advocacy organizations, developed and launched a new online toolkit, eosasthma.org.

In the United States, it is estimated that nearly 25 million people have some type of asthma; it has been estimated that as many as 10% of these people have severe asthma. Research has shown a correlation between too many eosinophils in the blood and the future risk and severity of asthma attacks.

A survey of people with eosinophilic asthma conducted by APFED showed that those who have this condition wanted to learn more about their disease. Further, they indicated a preference for learning through digital resources. Eosasthma.org was created to address these needs.

The information-rich site helps people to better understand eosinophilic asthma and diagnosis and treatment options, explore practical strategies to help improve quality of life, and access a wealth of resources available to those with eosinophilic asthma.

“Educational resources such as eosasthma.org help patients to make informed decisions about their healthcare,” said Mary Jo Strobel, Executive Director of APFED. “We are excited to partner with the Allergy & Asthma Network on the launch of this website, which was developed to help patients and families better understand eosinophilic asthma and how to manage this chronic condition.”

“Recent medical breakthroughs are transforming how eosinophilic asthma is treated,” says Tonya Winders, President and CEO of Allergy & Asthma Network. “It’s critical that patients and caregivers have a clear understanding of the disease so they can work with their doctor to better manage it. That’s where eosasthma.org comes in. We are proud to partner with APFED to share this valuable patient resource.”

Please check out and share the site to:

Learn about this severe subtype of asthma, a chronic lung disease
Read about eos asthma diagnosis and treatment options
Explore practical strategies to help improve quality of life with eos asthma
Read answers to questions commonly asked by patients and caregivers
Review information about the specialists that help treat and manage eos asthma
Learn terms commonly used when discussing eos asthma
Learn about eos asthma research and clinical trials
Explore additional resources, including ones to connect with others, and tap into a supportive community

The eosasthma.org website was created thanks to a grant provided by Sanofi Genzyme and Regeneron; we are grateful for their support. We are also grateful for our medical reviewers who volunteered their time to review the content for accuracy, including Purvi Parikh, MD, Marissa Shams, MD, and Michael E. Wechsler, MD, MMSc.

To explore this new resource, visit eosasthma.org.

COVID-19 Potential Impact on Eosinophil-Associated Diseases

March 8, 2020Announcements, In the News, What's NewJen Roeder

The American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED) is closely monitoring developments regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and the potential impact on the higher-risk patients in the eosinophil-associated disease community. This is a rapidly changing situation and we encourage you to follow updates on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s website and your state health department website.

COVID-19 was first detected in China in December 2019. It has since spread around the world, including to the United States, resulting in the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring a public health emergency of international concern and the United States Health and Human Services Secretary declaring a public health emergency.

Potential Impact on People with Eosinophil-Associated Diseases

There is not enough information as of yet, however, it appears that people with chronic health conditions, including those who have pulmonary or cardiac eosinophilic disorders, and those who take systemic corticosteroids and/or other immunosuppressive medications (e.g., methotrexate, cyclosporin, rituximab infusions) may be at higher risk of developing complications or more severe infection with COVID-19. Individuals should contact their healthcare provider if they have symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

APFED encourages everyone to follow COVID-19 guidance from the CDC and the WHO and to be alert to local quarantine practices in their communities.

CDC Information about COVID-19

Medical Reviewers: Gerald J. Gleich, MD, University of Utah Health; Michael E. Wechsler, MD, National Jewish Health; Praveen Akuthota, MD, UC San Diego Health.