BACKGROUND: Whether patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD) have a higher risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) and how SARS-CoV-2 pandemic impacts on adherence to therapy has not been fully elucidated. We assessed the rate and clinical presentation of COVID-19, and adherence to therapy in a large cohort of patients with ARD followed-up in a tertiary University-Hospital in Northeast Italy. METHODS: Between April 9th and April 25th, 2020, after SARS-CoV-2 infection peak, a telephone survey investigating the impact of COVID-19 on patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) was administered. Demographics, disease activity status, therapy, occupational exposure, and adherence to social distancing advise were also collected. RESULTS: 916 patients (397 SLE, 182 AAV, 176 SSc, 111 RA, 50 IIM) completed the survey. 148 patients developed at least one symptom compatible with COVID-19 (cough 96, sore throat 64, fever 64, arthromyalgias 59, diarrhea 26, conjunctivitis 18, ageusia/hyposmia, 18). Among the 916 patients, 65 (7.1%) underwent SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swab (18 symptomatic and 47 asymptomatic), 2 (0.21%) tested positive, a proportion similar to that observed in the general population of the Veneto region. No deaths occurred. 31 patients (3.4%) withdrew ≥1 medication, mainly immunosuppressants or biologics. Adoption of social distancing was observed by 860 patients (93.9%), including 335 (36.6%) who adopted it before official lockdown. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 incidence seems to be similar in our cohort compared to the general population. Adherence to therapy and to social distancing advise was high.
BACKGROUND: Whether patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD) have a higher risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) and how SARS-CoV-2 pandemic impacts on adherence to therapy has not been fully elucidated. We assessed the rate and clinical presentation of COVID-19, and adherence to therapy in a large cohort of patients with ARD followed-up in a tertiary University-Hospital in Northeast Italy. METHODS: Between April 9th and April 25th, 2020, after SARS-CoV-2 infection peak, a telephone survey investigating the impact of COVID-19 on patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) was administered. Demographics, disease activity status, therapy, occupational exposure, and adherence to social distancing advise were also collected. RESULTS: 916 patients (397 SLE, 182 AAV, 176 SSc, 111 RA, 50 IIM) completed the survey. 148 patients developed at least one symptom compatible with COVID-19 (cough 96, sore throat 64, fever 64, arthromyalgias 59, diarrhea 26, conjunctivitis 18, ageusia/hyposmia, 18). Among the 916 patients, 65 (7.1%) underwent SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swab (18 symptomatic and 47 asymptomatic), 2 (0.21%) tested positive, a proportion similar to that observed in the general population of the Veneto region. No deaths occurred. 31 patients (3.4%) withdrew ≥1 medication, mainly immunosuppressants or biologics. Adoption of social distancing was observed by 860 patients (93.9%), including 335 (36.6%) who adopted it before official lockdown. CONCLUSIONS:COVID-19 incidence seems to be similar in our cohort compared to the general population. Adherence to therapy and to social distancing advise was high.
Authors: Nathan M Markarian; Gaël Galli; Dhanesh Patel; Mark Hemmings; Priya Nagpal; Albert M Berghuis; Levon Abrahamyan; Silvia M Vidal Journal: Front Microbiol Date: 2022-07-01 Impact factor: 6.064
Authors: Raffaella Greco; Tobias Alexander; Joachim Burman; Nicoletta Del Papa; Jeska de Vries-Bouwstra; Dominique Farge; Jörg Henes; Majid Kazmi; Kirill Kirgizov; Paolo A Muraro; Elena Ricart; Montserrat Rovira; Riccardo Saccardi; Basil Sharrack; Emilian Snarski; Barbara Withers; Helen Jessop; Claudia Boglione; Ellen Kramer; Manuela Badoglio; Myriam Labopin; Kim Orchard; Selim Corbacioglu; Per Ljungman; Malgorzata Mikulska; Rafael De la Camara; John A Snowden Journal: Bone Marrow Transplant Date: 2021-05-24 Impact factor: 5.483
Authors: Kathryn C Fitzgerald; Christopher A Mecoli; Morgan Douglas; Samantha Harris; Berna Aravidis; Jemima Albayda; Elias S Sotirchos; Ahmet Hoke; Ana-Maria Orbai; Michelle Petri; Lisa Christopher-Stine; Alan N Baer; Julie J Paik; Brittany L Adler; Eleni Tiniakou; Homa Timlin; Pavan Bhargava; Scott D Newsome; Arun Venkatesan; Vinay Chaudhry; Thomas E Lloyd; Carlos A Pardo; Barney J Stern; Mark Lazarev; Brindusa Truta; Shiv Saidha; Edward S Chen; Michelle Sharp; Nisha Gilotra; Edward K Kasper; Allan C Gelber; Clifton O Bingham; Ami A Shah; Ellen M Mowry Journal: Clin Infect Dis Date: 2022-02-11 Impact factor: 9.079
Authors: María Del Mar Ayala Gutiérrez; Manuel Rubio-Rivas; Carlos Romero Gómez; Abelardo Montero Sáez; Iván Pérez de Pedro; Narcís Homs; Blanca Ayuso García; Carmen Cuenca Carvajal; Francisco Arnalich Fernández; José Luis Beato Pérez; Juan Antonio Vargas Núñez; Laura Letona Giménez; Carmen Suárez Fernández; Manuel Méndez Bailón; Carlota Tuñón de Almeida; Julio González Moraleja; Mayte de Guzmán García-Monge; Cristina Helguera Amezua; María Del Pilar Fidalgo Montero; Vicente Giner Galvañ; Ricardo Gil Sánchez; Jorge Collado Sáenz; Ramon Boixeda; José Manuel Ramos Rincón; Ricardo Gómez Huelgas Journal: J Clin Med Date: 2021-04-23 Impact factor: 4.241
Authors: Joel M Gelfand; April W Armstrong; Stacie Bell; George L Anesi; Andrew Blauvelt; Cassandra Calabrese; Erica D Dommasch; Steve R Feldman; Dafna Gladman; Leon Kircik; Mark Lebwohl; Vincent Lo Re; George Martin; Joseph F Merola; Jose U Scher; Sergio Schwartzman; James R Treat; Abby S Van Voorhees; Christoph T Ellebrecht; Justine Fenner; Anthony Ocon; Maha N Syed; Erica J Weinstein; Jessica Smith; George Gondo; Sue Heydon; Samantha Koons; Christopher T Ritchlin Journal: J Am Acad Dermatol Date: 2020-09-04 Impact factor: 15.487