Table II.
Data summarizing impact on specialist allergy services
| Question no. | Question | Subcategories | Adult allergy, n (%) | Pediatric allergy, n (%) | Total allergy, n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service provision | |||||
| 1 | Did you stop VIT in any particular groups of patients (see government guidelines for definitions)? | No. of respondents | 30 (93.8) | 5 (16.7) | 35 (56.5) |
| No change—all patients continued | 3 (10) | 4 (80) | 7 (20) | ||
| Stopped in the extremely vulnerable shielded groups | 10 (33.3) | 0 (0) | 10 (28.6) | ||
| Stopped in the vulnerable stringent social distancing groups | 7 (23.3) | (0) | 7 (20) | ||
| Individual discussion with each patient | 18 (60) | 1 (20) | 19 (54.3) | ||
| All patients stopped | 2 (6.7) | 0 (0) | 2 (5.7) | ||
| Other change | 4 (13.3) | 0 (0) | 4 (11.4) | ||
| Referrals | |||||
| 2 | Which groups of patients are you prioritizing as urgent? | No. of respondents | 30 (93.8) | 30 (100) | 60 (96.8) |
| Drug allergy—general anesthetic allergy (surgery imminent) | 23 (76.7) | 3 (10) | 26 (43.3) | ||
| Drug allergy—general anesthetic allergy (future need) | 5 (16.7) | 1 (3.3) | 6 (10) | ||
| Drug allergy—antibiotic allergy (clinically required as alternatives deemed inadequate) | 15 (50) | 5 (16.7) | 20 (33.3) | ||
| Drug allergy—chemotherapy/biologics allergy | 10 (33.3) | 2 (6.7) | 12 (20) | ||
| Drug allergy—nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug reactions | 0 (0) | 2 (6.7) | 2 (3.3) | ||
| Drug allergy—other drug allergy deemed clinically urgent | 19 (63.3) | 5 (16.7) | 24 (40) | ||
| Occupational allergy (eg, latex) | 2 (6.7) | 0 (0) | 2 (3.3) | ||
| Food allergy—food-induced anaphylaxis | 13 (43.3) | 25 (83.3) | 38 (63.3) | ||
| Food allergy—nutritional concern | 5 (16.7) | 25 (83.3) | 30 (50) | ||
| Food allergy—limited diet but no nutritional concern | 2 (6.7) | 7 (23.3) | 9 (15) | ||
| Food allergy—patient choice | 0 (0) | 2 (6.7) | 2 (3.3) | ||
| Venom anaphylaxis | 14 (46.7) | 7 (23.3) | 21 (35) | ||
| Anaphylaxis, uncertain cause | 22 (73.3) | 23 (76.7) | 45 (75) | ||
| Urticaria and angioedema—spontaneous urticaria/angioedema | 6 (20) | 3 (10) | 9 (15) | ||
| Urticaria and angioedema—isolated angioedema | 3 (10) | 4 (13.3) | 7 (11.7) | ||
| Aeroallergen allergy—rhinosinusitis | 0 (0) | 2 (6.7) | 2 (3.3) | ||
| Aeroallergen allergy—rhinosinusitis with asthma | 0 (0) | 3 (10) | 3 (5) | ||
| Other | 7 (23.3) | 6 (20) | 13 (21.7) | ||
| 3a | Were/are you able to undertake urgent (within 4 wk) treatments/procedures (eg, desensitizations or challenges) week commencing February 3, 2020? | No. of respondents | 30 (93.8) | 25 (83.3) | 55 (88.7) |
| Yes | 27 (90) | 21 (84) | 48 (87.3) | ||
| No | 3 (10) | 4 (16) | 7 (12.7) | ||
| 3b | Were/are you able to undertake urgent (within 4 wk) treatments/procedures (eg, desensitizations or challenges) week commencing April 5, 2020? | No. of respondents | 30 (93.8) | 25 (83.3) | 55 (88.7) |
| Yes | 15 (50) | 7 (28) | 22 (40) | ||
| No | 15 (50) | 18 (72) | 33 (60) | ||
| 3c | Were/are you able to undertake urgent (within 4 wk) treatments/procedures (eg, desensitizations or challenges) week commencing May 8, 2020? | No. of respondents | 30 (93.8) | 25 (83.3) | 55 (88.7) |
| Yes | 18 (60) | 8 (32) | 26 (47.3) | ||
| No | 12 (40) | 17 (68) | 29 (52.7) | ||
| 4 | Has there been a change to the available repertoire or turnaround time of specific IgE tests in your local laboratory? | No. of respondents | 31 (96.9) | 29 (96.7) | 60 (96.8) |
| Yes | 8 (25.8) | 7 (24.1) | 15 (25) | ||
| No | 23 (74.2) | 22 (75.9) | 45 (75) | ||
| 5 | If indicated, are you able to book skin tests for patients reviewed remotely (telephone or video consultations)? | No. of respondents | 32 (100) | 29 (96.7) | 61 (98.4) |
| <1 wk | 1 (3.1) | 4 (13.8) | 5 (8.2) | ||
| 1-4 wk | 7 (21.9) | 6 (20.7) | 13 (21.3) | ||
| By deferring to subsequent appointment (>4 wk) | 24 (75) | 19 (65.5) | 43 (70.5) | ||