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. 2022 Jan 27:8:808608.
doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.808608. eCollection 2021.

COVID GEAS: COVID-19 National Survey in Patients With Systemic Autoimmune Diseases

Borja Del Carmelo Gracia  1 , Luis Sáez  2 , Lucio Pallarés  3 , Jose Velilla  2 , Adela Marín  1 , Luis Martinez-Lostao  4 , Carmen Pilar Simeón  5 , Patricia Fanlo  6
Affiliations

COVID GEAS: COVID-19 National Survey in Patients With Systemic Autoimmune Diseases

Borja Del Carmelo Gracia et al. Front Med (Lausanne). .

Abstract

Objectives: COVID-19 outcomes in population with systemic autoimmune diseases (SAD) remain poorly understood. The aim was to examine demographic and clinical factors associated with COVID-19 infection in people with rheumatic disease.

Methods: Two phases cross-sectional survey of individuals with rheumatic disease in April 2020 and October 2020. COVID infection, severity of disease, age, sex, smoking status, underlying rheumatic disease diagnosis, comorbidities and rheumatic disease medications taken immediately prior to infection were analyzed.

Results: A total of 1,529 individuals with autoimmunity disease diagnosis were included. Out of 50 positive patients, 21 required telephone medical assistance, 16 received assessment by primary care physician, 9 were evaluated in Emergency Department and 4 patient required hospitalization. Multivariate analysis was performed without obtaining differences in any of the systemic autoimmune diseases. Regarding the treatments, significant differences were found (p 0.011) in the treatment with anti-TNF-alpha agents with OR 3.422 (1.322-8.858) and a trend to significance (p 0.094) was observed in patients receiving mycophenolate treatment [OR 2.016 (0.996-4-081)].

Conclusions: Anti-TNF-alpha treatment was associated with more than 3-fold risk of suffering from SARS-CoV-2 infection, although in all cases infection was mild. Cumulative incidence in patients with SAD was up to 5 times higher than general population but with great differences between autoimmune diseases.

Keywords: COVID-19 infection; SARS-CoV-2; anti-TNF; corticosteroids; survey; systemic autoimmune disease; systemic erythematosus lupus.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparative between cumulative incidence of Spain and COVID-GEAS survey. The proportion of patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in our cohort was compared to those reported for the general population of Spain, using the Pearson test.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Association between the treatment of systemic autoimmune diseases and severity. Number of patients in each of the immunosuppressive treatments and type of need for hospital care.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cumulative incidence of COVID-19 for each of the SAD. Accumulated incidence in the weeks of 2020 for each of the autoimmune diseases. SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; APS, antiphospholipid syndrome.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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