Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Girls and women with Turner Syndrome (TS) are commonly estrogen deficient, and may also be affected by conditions that have been suggested as increasing risk for severe infection with COVID.

Objective: To determine the self-reported experience of COVID19 in girls/women with Turner syndrome

Design: Anonymous self-completed website survey (UK TSSS) and analysis of submitted data

Population: 49 people; 10 on behalf of their child, 26 for themselves, 1 on behalf of a patient (where reported), mean age 29y (5-48). Reported karyotype; 45, X (18), mosaic (8), other (3).

Main Outcome Measures: Clinical features of COVID infection and severity. Characteristics of Turner Syndrome in those affected by COVID, pre-existing drug therapy and proportion in high-risk groups.

Results: The commonest initial features were tiredness (n = 22, severe in 8), and muscle aches (n = 17). Specific symptoms were noted; fever/high temperature (9), loss of smell/taste (12), headache (21) and least commonly - cough (8). 19 women described anxiety as a major feature (severe in 4). Only 1 infection was scored as severe, requiring hospitalisation for severe breathing problems and requiring oxygen. No patient required ITU. Contact with hospital was the mode of infection in 3/9. Eight reported previous cardiac surgery. 7 had hypertension, 4 diabetes mellitus (3/4 insulin) and 12 primary hypothyroidism. Medication included vitamin D (14), HRT/OCP (27) anxiety medication (6). 10/26 had received flu-vaccine.

Conclusions: In this self-reported survey of COVID19 infection in TS, severity was mild in all but one, which may be related to their relatively young age. Notwithstanding significant pre-existing morbidity in many patients, only one patient required hospitalisation, and none required assisted ventilation. Anxiety was significant for many, with associated increased social isolation. Despite the increased morbidity associated with respiratory disease and infection reported in TS, this small survey was relatively reassuring in terms of COVID19.