Belong.Life, the world’s largest social networking app for cancer patients, has launched a free anonymous support group to help cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group allows cancer patients to ask medical professionals questions – in Hebrew or English — about how the novel coronavirus could affect them as they battle cancer or navigate remission.

The group chat is overseen by Belong Chief Medical Director, oncologist Dr. Daniel Vorobiof.

Vorobiof tells ISRAEL21c that cancer patients needed “a safe place to turn to with their important queries” during the pandemic, when physicians are overwhelmed and may not be able to answer quickly.

“We decided to give them a constantly available medical opinion,” says Vorobiof.

There are two main type of questions being asked in the Cancer and Coronavirus Group, he says.

“The first type is self-concern questions from patients who have finished treatment, are are undergoing treatment, or are scheduled to start treatment soon.”

Typical questions in this category include: What risk do I have at this present time? How does my treatment affect my immune system? What is my susceptibility to catching the virus? Should I receive my treatment as usual?

The second type are social-concern questions from patients and their family members and caregivers.

These questions include: How do I manage my illness around my family/children/colleagues during this time? How do I protect the cancer patient I am caring for? What do I need to be aware of as a caregiver?

So far, 75 percent of the questions are coming from United States, 11% from the United Kingdom and 4% from Canada.