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Review
. 2021 Mar;35(1):101657.
doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2020.101657. Epub 2020 Dec 23.

Novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in people with rheumatic disease: Epidemiology and outcomes

Rebecca Grainger  1 , Pedro M Machado  2 , Philip C Robinson  3
Affiliations
Review

Novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in people with rheumatic disease: Epidemiology and outcomes

Rebecca Grainger et al. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

There is concern that people with rheumatic disease, often treated with immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory medication, may be at an increased risk of poor outcomes of novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). However, hyperinflammation is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in COVID-19 and treatment with glucocorticoids has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with severe COVID-19. Therefore, uncertainty exists about continuing or withholding immune therapies with the risk of infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This review covers the current knowledge with respect to the risk of infection and outcomes and risk factors for poor outcomes in patients with rheumatic disease. We also discuss data from other immune-mediated diseases and its relevance to patients with rheumatic disease. In addition, we cover the limitations of the research efforts to date and how the current knowledge translates into practice guidance. Finally, we discuss our vision of the future research agenda.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Outcomes; Rheumatic disease; Rheumatology.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing interest RG reports non-financial support from Pfizer Australia, personal fees from Pfizer Australia, personal fees from Cornerstones, personal fees from Janssen New Zealand, non-financial support from Janssen Australia, and personal fees from Novartis, outside the submitted work. PMM has received consulting/speaker's fees from Abbvie, BMS, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Orphazyme, Pfizer, Roche, and UCB, all unrelated to this manuscript. PCR reports personal fees from Abbvie, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, and UCB, non-financial support from BMS, research funding from Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, all outside the submitted work.

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