Is Omalizumab Treatment Used During the COVID-19 Pandemic Effective on the Frequency and Severity of COVID-19?

Abstract

Objective: The effects of drugs used in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and similar chronic dermatological diseases in COVID-19 continue to be the subject of many studies. The present study aimed to reveal the frequency and severity of COVID-19 infection in CSU patients treated with omalizumab and antihistamines.
 Materials and Methods: CSU patients who were followed up and treated with omalizumab or antihistamines were evaluated retrospectively for clinical conditions with CSU and COVID-19 during the pandemic and compared with the control group regarding the incidence and severity of COVID-19 infection. In addition, urticaria disease severity was also compared with pre-pandemic scores for the CSU group.
 Results: Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test positivity rate for SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 17.4%, 30.1%, and 34.8% of the patients in omalizumab, antihistamine, and control groups, respectively (p= 0.001). The disease activity scores were increased in both antihistamine and omalizumab treated compared to the pre-covid state CSU patients, while the increase was minor in patients using omalizumab. 
 Conclusion: The fact that COVID-19 infection was seen less frequent and urticaria activity scores were lower during the infection in the omalizumab group suggests that omalizumab treatment is safe and convenient to use during COVID-19 infection.