Abstract
ObjectivesTo estimate absolute and relative risks for all-cause mortality and for severe COVID-19 in inflammatory joint diseases (IJDs) and with antirheumatic therapies.MethodsThrough Swedish nationwide multiregister linkages, we selected all adult...
Highlights
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has raised concerns regarding its impact in individuals with chronic inflammatory joint diseases (IJDs) such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with a morbidity and mortality pattern already higher than in the general Key messagesWhat is already known about this subject? ►► The impact of COVID-19 on morbidity and mortality among patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory joint diseases (IJDs) is not completely understood
How might this impact on clinical practice or future developments? ►► Our risk estimates may be used for patient counselling, and suggest that for COVID-19, the general health status matters more than a diagnosis of inflammatory joint disease per se, or its treatment
(3) In absolute terms, the risks for admission to hospital due to COVID-19 (0.5%, an additional 0.2 per 100 persons compared with the general population), to intensive care due to COVID-19 (0.04%, an additional 0.01 per 100 persons) and for death due to COVID-19 (0.10%, an additional 0.03 per 100 persons) among patients with IJDs were low
Summary
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has raised concerns regarding its impact in individuals with chronic inflammatory joint diseases (IJDs) such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with a morbidity and mortality pattern already higher than in the general Key messagesWhat is already known about this subject? ►► The impact of COVID-19 on morbidity and mortality among patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory joint diseases (IJDs) is not completely understood. Since many of the available studies have internally compared characteristics among patients with different rheumatic diseases and COVID-19, absolute risks and how they relate (excess and relative risks) to the corresponding risks in the general population remain unknown, but are necessary for risk communication. ►► During the first period (March–September) of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the increased all-cause mortality in all patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other IJDs was largely proportionate to that in the general population (relative risks around 2 and 1.5, respectively, that were not higher during 2020 than during 2015–2019), and largely explained by comorbidities. Population,[1,2,3] and with treatments (disease- modifying antirheumatic drugs, DMARDs) on the one hand linked with increased risks for serious infections, and on the other hand suggested to How might this impact on clinical practice or future developments? Case repositories based on active reporting suffer from unknown selection processes, and lack of external comparators make it impossible to assess absolute risks, let alone put these into context, for example, to COVID-19-related risks in individuals without rheumatic disease, or to risks in individuals with rheumatic disease but not COVID-19
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
