Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on individuals and families affected by vascular anomalies: The VBF COVID-19 survey

The Vascular Birthmarks Foundation (VBF) was established to network patients into treatment and to close the gap between patient and physician knowledge regarding vascular birthmarks, anomalies, and related syndromes (VBARS), which represent a spectrum of disorders from a simple “birthmark” to life threatening hemorrhagic tumors.1 As the COVID-19 virus began to spread across the globe in early 2020, families affected by a VBARS informed VBF that their appointments for laser treatments, minor surgeries, and drug therapy were being cancelled or delayed. Institutions issued strict policies to discontinue these appointments until further notice, as they considered them nonessential. The VBF COVID-19 Impact Survey was created to measure and quantify the medical and psychosocial effects of the pandemic on adults and children (under age 18) affected by one of the nine primary VBARS types listed on the VBF website. This study took inspiration from the health consequences caused by the hurricane Katrina.2