Rheumatologists' practice during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: a survey in Egypt

Tamer A Gheita¹, Mohamed N Salem², Nahla N Eesa³, Noha M Khalil⁴, Nada M Gamal⁵, Rasha Abdel Noor⁶, Abdel Hafeez Moshrif⁷, Rawhya El Shereef⁸, Faten Ismail⁸, Nermeen Noshy⁹, Rasha M Fawzy¹⁰, Emad Elshebini¹¹, Iman Khalifa¹², Hanan El Saadany¹³, Samar Tharwat¹⁴, Amany El-Najjar¹⁵, Yousra Abdel Fattah¹⁶, Rehab Sallam¹⁷, Amany S El-Bahnasawy¹⁷, Ola Gharbia¹⁷, Eman Hassan¹⁸, Amira ElShanawany¹⁹, Eman F Mohamed²⁰, Soha Senara²¹, Mervat Ismail²², Samah I Nasef²³, Ahmed M Abdalla^{24

25}, Dina Elessawi²⁶, Samar M Fawzy³, Esam Abu Alfadl^{27

28}, Asmaa Khalifa²⁷, Nouran M Abaza²⁹; ECR COVID19-Study Group

Affiliations

¹ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. gheitamer@hotmail.com.
² Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt.
³ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
⁴ Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
⁵ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assuit University, Asyut, Egypt.
⁶ Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Tanta University, Gharbia, Tanta, Egypt.
⁷ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Asyut, Egypt.
⁸ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt.
⁹ Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain-Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
¹⁰ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Kalubia, Benha, Egypt.
¹¹ Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Menoufiya University, Menoufiya, Egypt.
¹² Pediatric Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.
¹³ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Gharbia, Tanta, Egypt.
¹⁴ Rheumatology Unit Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Dakahlia, Mansoura, Egypt.
¹⁵ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Sharkia, Zagazig, Egypt.
¹⁶ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
¹⁷ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Dakahlia, Mansoura, Egypt.
¹⁸ Rheumatology Unit Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
¹⁹ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufiya University, Menoufiya, Egypt.
²⁰ Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
²¹ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.
²² Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt.
²³ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez-Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
²⁴ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt.
²⁵ Division of‏ Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
²⁶ Rheumatology Unit Internal Medicine Department, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA), Cairo, Egypt.
²⁷ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.
²⁸ Qena/Luxor Hospitals, Qena, Egypt.
²⁹ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

PMID: 32710198
PMCID: PMC7380140
DOI: 10.1007/s00296-020-04655-9

Rheumatologists' practice during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: a survey in Egypt

Tamer A Gheita et al. Rheumatol Int. 2020 Oct.

. 2020 Oct;40(10):1599-1611.

doi: 10.1007/s00296-020-04655-9. Epub 2020 Jul 24.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. gheitamer@hotmail.com.
² Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt.
³ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
⁴ Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
⁵ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assuit University, Asyut, Egypt.
⁶ Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Tanta University, Gharbia, Tanta, Egypt.
⁷ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Asyut, Egypt.
⁸ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt.
⁹ Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain-Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
¹⁰ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Kalubia, Benha, Egypt.
¹¹ Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Menoufiya University, Menoufiya, Egypt.
¹² Pediatric Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.
¹³ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Gharbia, Tanta, Egypt.
¹⁴ Rheumatology Unit Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Dakahlia, Mansoura, Egypt.
¹⁵ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Sharkia, Zagazig, Egypt.
¹⁶ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
¹⁷ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Dakahlia, Mansoura, Egypt.
¹⁸ Rheumatology Unit Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
¹⁹ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufiya University, Menoufiya, Egypt.
²⁰ Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
²¹ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.
²² Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt.
²³ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez-Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
²⁴ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt.
²⁵ Division of‏ Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
²⁶ Rheumatology Unit Internal Medicine Department, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA), Cairo, Egypt.
²⁷ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.
²⁸ Qena/Luxor Hospitals, Qena, Egypt.
²⁹ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

PMID: 32710198
PMCID: PMC7380140
DOI: 10.1007/s00296-020-04655-9

Abstract

The aim of this work is to trace how rheumatologists all over Egypt are approaching the COVID-19 pandemic and what changes it has brought about in the patients' care with special attention to its effect on vulnerable rheumatic disease (RD) patients. This survey further aims to help inform the rheumatology community about the changes in practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey included 26 questions distributed to University staff members across Egypt members of the Egyptian College of Rheumatology (ECR). It takes 5-10 min to fill out. The practice setting of participating rheumatologists included University Teaching Hospitals that are the main rheumatology and clinical immunology service providers for adults and children RD patients. There was an overall agreement across the country in the responses to the survey that took a median time of 7 min to fill in. Potential changes in rheumatology outpatient practice by staff members evolved since the COVID-19 pandemic. None of the university rheumatology staff members has prescribed chloroquine or HCQ to prevent or treat COVID-19 in a non-hospitalized patient who was not previously on it. Twenty-three recommended decrease/avoid NSAIDs if the RD patient had confirmed COVID-19 or symptoms. There is an agreement to the key emerging frontline role of rheumatologists in treating COVID-19. During the pandemic, RD cases requiring admission were dealt with by several modified strategies. The overall agreement among the different university rheumatology departments during such critical situation has provoked the ECR to consider providing provisional guidelines for dealing with RD patients during this global catastrophe.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Egyptian college of rheumatology; Practice; Rheumatologists; Survey.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

**Fig. 1**
The frequency of rheumatic diseases patients suffering most during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. World Health Organisation. WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19. 11 March 2020. 2020. Available from: https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-re...
1. Brodin P. Why is COVID-19 so mild in children? Acta Paediatr. 2020;109(6):1082–1083. doi: 10.1111/apa.15271. - DOI - PubMed
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Rheumatologists' practice during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: a survey in Egypt

Affiliations

Rheumatologists' practice during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: a survey in Egypt

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Miscellaneous