COVID-19 and IBD

About the COVID-19 IBD Risk Tool

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the IBD Registry created the COVID-19 IBD Risk Tool. The tool was based on information from the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) that set out the risks from COVID-19 for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

The tool allowed people with IBD to self-assess and understand their risk level, and was used by more than 40,000 people. Almost 10,000 people then took part in our follow-up survey in April 2021. The information collected remains a hugely important contribution to growing our understanding of how COVID-19 impacts people with IBD.

The tool is just one example of how the IBD Registry collects health data to help improve IBD treatment and care, and support vital research. If you have IBD, you can join the Registry to agree to your data being included in this valuable resource.

The COVID-19 IBD Risk Tool was based on the best available evidence at the time. However, new evidence means that the BSG’s assessment of risk from COVID-19 for people with IBD has changed, and the tool is no longer relevant or helpful for people with IBD.

You can read the latest guidance on the risks of COVID-19 for people with IBD on the Crohn’s & Colitis UK website. If you have any concerns, you can also talk to your doctor or nurse.

Quote from Dr Christian Selinger, consultant gastroenterologist, reads: As most of the UK population has been vaccinated, the risk from COVID-19 for people with IBD is now the same as for everyone else. We have learned over the past 2 years that advanced IBD therapies such as biologics do not increase a patient's risk for a bad COVID-19 outcome. With this reassuring evidence in mind, we have therefore withdrawn the COVID risk grid. People with IBD should now follow the COVID-19 advice given for everyone."