 Namaste, I am Dr. Abhishek Patil, consultant rheumatologist at Manipal Hospital's old airport town, Bangalore. Rheumatology as a branch deals with various autoimmune diseases which includes rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, myositis, vasculitis. Now many of these diseases are long-losting illnesses which require continuous care by your doctors. Interrupting care in these diseases can result in flare-up of the disease and which may result in unnecessary hospitalization and increase of the immunosuppressive medicines. Last couple of months I have seen a large number of patients with lupus and vasculitis and various other diseases coming up with very severe diseases and some of them having organ-threatening complications. Whenever it is required for your treatment of your primary illness, please do visit us taking all the necessary precautions. We are doing our best to ensure your maximum safety. This COVID-19 is expected to be with us in the near foreseeable future till a very effective medicine or a very effective treatment comes along. So we need to learn to live along with this. At Manipal hospitals we have taken utmost care to ensure the same. There is a separate entrance for suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases which separates them from general patients. There is also admission into the wards is also done and separate wards. And all the healthcare workers including the left man, the one who is at the screening desk, the nursing staff and the doctors use appropriate personal protective equipment. Whatever primary illness is there, you can seek an appointment by contacting Manipal hospitals website or helpline number.