SARS-CoV-2 Research Articles

Persistent hiccups after acute COVID-19 successfully treated with chlorpromazine: a case report

IntroductionHiccups are among the rare complications of COVID-19 infections. There are several published reports of persistent hiccups presenting during the acute COVID-19 period. However, there are very few published reports of persistent hiccups occurring in the post-acute COVID-19 period. Consequently, most clinicians may not be aware of this rare presentation. This case highlights an atypical presentation of persistent hiccups that manifested during the post-acute COVID -19 period that clinicians need to be aware of. The caseadds to the ever increasing body of knowledge about symptoms and signs associated with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus type 2 (SARS CoV-2) infection.Case presentationA 27 year old male black Zambian patient presented to the emergency department of our hospital with persistent hiccup, 35 days after the initial acute episode of COVID-19. This was associated with breathlessness. There were no other symptoms. He had no history of pulmonary, gastrointestinal, neurological disease or malignancy. He did not take any alcohol or smoke. He had never used any recreational drugs. He was employed as a monitoring and evaluation officer at one of the main COVID centres in the capital. On examination, the patient was anxious. Blood pressure was 141/82, pulse rate was 95 beats per minute, respiratory rate was 26 breaths per minute, temperature was 36.8C and oxygen saturation was 97% on room air. Systemic examination was normal. Chest X-ray and abdominal ultrasonography were normal. A rapid COVID-19 antigen test, and COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test that were done the following day were negative. All other haematological and biochemical tests, including D-dimer and C-reactive protein (CRP), were also normal. A diagnosis of post-acute COVID-19 associated hiccups was made. The patient responded well to treatment with chlorpromazine 25 mg 8 hourly. The hiccups disappeared completely after the fourth dose of chlorpromazine.ConclusionThis is one of the few published cases of COVID-19 associated persistent hiccups, occurring more than a month after the initial presentation. Most of the published cases report hiccups occurring in the acute COVID-19 period. Consequently, hiccups occurring in the post-acute COVID-19 period may not be attributable to COVID-19. This case has highlighted the need to consider post-acute COVID-19 in the differential diagnosis of persistent hiccup.

Targeting NSP-13 protein of SARS CoV-2 with selected natural compounds: An in-silico approach

Targeting NSP-13 protein of SARS CoV-2 with selected natural compounds: An in-silico approach

Novel series of hydrazones carrying pyrazole and triazole moiety: Synthesis, structural elucidation, quantum computational studies and antiviral activity against SARS-Cov-2

The novel series of hydrazones carrying both pyrazole and triazole moiety were synthesized and characterized using single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. It is found that the compound crystallizes in the triclinic system in the space group P1̅. Hirshfeld analysis was carried out to visualize the noncovalent intermolecular interactions which are responsible for molecular packing in the crystal. Further, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to calculate optimized molecular structure, stability, and a few of the quantum chemical parameters. Derived results are in good agreement with the experimentally obtained results. Analysis of frontier molecular orbitals (HOMO and LUMO) and their energy gap of the optimized structure revealed that the compound is stable in the gaseous state. Molecular electron densities, and electrostatic potential maps provide the reactive site and charge distribution of triazole group. Quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and reduced density gradient (RDG) analysis were carried out to explore the weak interactions present in the molecule. In addition, the synthesized compound was investigated as an inhibitor for SARS CoV-2 protease using in-silico molecular docking analysis to understand the mode of binding. The docking results showed the good binding score with Mpro protease 6LU7. Further, molecular dynamics (MD) were carried out for the best hit docked complexes.

Production of functional antibodies from hyperimmune duck eggs for neutralization of new coronavirus SARS CoV-2

Production of functional antibodies from hyperimmune duck eggs for neutralization of new coronavirus SARS CoV-2

M Multi-Organ Histopathological Changes in SARS COV2 Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

M Multi-Organ Histopathological Changes in SARS COV2 Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Diet Outcomes in Patients With COVID-19 Who Were Intubated and Proned

Objective: During the first wave of the COVID-19 (SARS CoV-2) pandemic, patients being treated for acute respiratory distress syndrome were proned while intubated with mechanical ventilation. In this study, we aimed to compare the diet outcomes at the time of acute hospital discharge of patients with COVID-19 who were proned while endotracheally intubated (ETT-proned) with those who were intubated with but not proned (ETT-supine). Design: The design used is a single-center, retrospective, descriptive study. Results: Between March 1, 2020, and August 2020, 193 critically ill adult patients with severe COVID-19 requiring endotracheal intubation with mechanical ventilation were referred for a swallowing evaluation at our acute care tertiary hospital; 114 of these patients were ETT-proned. At the time of discharge from the hospital, there was no significant difference in diet level between ETT-proned and ETT-supine patients. Significant factors associated with restricted diet at discharge included older age ( p < .001) and non–English-speaking status ( p = .05). Conclusions: In this study, diet levels at the time of discharge did not differ significantly between the patient groups by time of discharge. These results should be interpreted with caution in relation to the clinical swallow evaluation, which was curtailed by practice restrictions imposed by pandemic protocols. Future research should objectively assess swallow function in patients who were proned during intubation with mechanical ventilation, utilizing evidence-based swallow screening protocols, standardized assessment of physiology via imaging (videofluoroscopic swallow studies or flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing), and long-term follow-up to directly and objectively determine the impact proning has on swallow physiology.

Brief overview of mpox: To worry or to ignore?

Mpox was first discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a zoonotic infectious disease with various possible transmission routes. Currently, it is a reemerging disease being monitored by the World Health Organization (WHO) after a surge of reported cases in several non-endemic countries in May 2022 and August 2023. This study probes into the issue of whether mpox should or should not be concerned as a potential threat during and after the current COVID-19 pandemic. Literature reviews were conducted using PubMed, DOAJ, and Cochrane to understand and synthesize more information on the virulence and lethality of mpox. The keywords used included “monkeypox”, “outbreak”, “reemerging infectious disease”, “southeast asia”, “smallpox”, “sars cov”, and “transmission”, which were all associated with the Boolean operators “AND” and “OR”. A total of 30 articles acquired from various journals and international official websites were included in this study. The sudden outbreaks across the Asia-Pacific region may be attributed to countries lifting their travel restrictions. Studies have shown that mpox has similar transmission routes to COVID-19 and manifests similar symptoms to smallpox. However, mpox needs prolonged contact for its transmission and has a lower case fatality rate (CFR). Several studies highlighted that current outbreaks have different epidemiological and clinical characteristics from classic cases. Mpox is not as highly transmissible as COVID-19 and not as severe as smallpox, but it still poses a potential threat to human health and needs further observation and immediate containment to prevent further transmission worldwide. The preparation of smallpox vaccination in case of emergency and further clinical trials of smallpox drugs are recommended.

Rapid Determination of SARS-CoV-2 Integrity and Infectivity by Using Propidium Monoazide Coupled with Digital Droplet PCR.

SARS-CoV-2 is a highly infectious virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is important to assess the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially in persistently positive patients. Rapid discrimination between infectious and non-infectious viruses aids in determining whether prevention, control, and treatment measures are necessary. For this purpose, a method was developed and utilized involving a pre-treatment with 50 µM of propidium monoazide (PMAxx, a DNA intercalant) combined with a digital droplet PCR (ddPCR). The ddPCR method was performed on 40 nasopharyngeal swabs (NPSs) both before and after treatment with PMAxx, revealing a reduction in the viral load at a mean of 0.9 Log copies/mL (SD ± 0.6 Log copies/mL). Furthermore, six samples were stratified based on the Ct values of SARS-CoV-2 RNA (Ct < 20, 20 < Ct < 30, Ct > 30) and analyzed to compare the results obtained via a ddPCR with viral isolation and a negative-chain PCR. Of the five samples found positive via a ddPCR after the PMAxx treatment, two of the samples showed the highest post-treatment SARS-CoV-2 loads. The virus was isolated in vitro from both samples and the negative strand chains were detected. In three NPS samples, SARS CoV-2 was present post-treatment at a low level; it was not isolated in vitro, and, when detected, the strand was negative. Our results indicate that the established method is useful for determining whether the SARS-CoV-2 within positive NPS samples is intact and capable of causing infection.

Structural, dynamic behaviour, in-vitro and computational investigations of Schiff’s bases of 1,3-diphenyl urea derivatives against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

The COVID-19 has had a significant influence on people's lives across the world. The viral genome has undergone numerous unanticipated changes that have given rise to new varieties, raising alarm on a global scale. Bioactive phytochemicals derived from nature and synthetic sources possess lot of potential as pathogenic virus inhibitors. The goal of the recent study is to report new inhibitors of Schiff bases of 1,3-dipheny urea derivatives against SARS COV-2 spike protein through in-vitro and in-silico approach. Total 14 compounds were evaluated, surprisingly, all the compounds showed strong inhibition with inhibitory values between 79.60% and 96.00% inhibition. Here, compounds 3a (96.00%), 3d (89.60%), 3e (84.30%), 3f (86.20%), 3g (88.30%), 3h (86.80%), 3k (82.10%), 3l (90.10%), 3m (93.49%), 3n (85.64%), and 3o (81.79%) exhibited high inhibitory potential against SARS COV-2 spike protein. While 3c also showed significant inhibitory potential with 79.60% inhibition. The molecular docking of these compounds revealed excellent fitting of molecules in the spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) with good interactions with the key residues of RBD and docking scores ranging from − 4.73 to − 5.60 kcal/mol. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulation for 150 ns indicated a strong stability of a complex 3a:6MOJ. These findings obtained from the in-vitro and in-silico study reflect higher potency of the Schiff bases of 1,3-diphenyl urea derivatives. Furthermore, also highlight their medicinal importance for the treatment of SARS COV-2 infection. Therefore, these small molecules could be a possible drug candidate.

Evaluating the efficiency of ELISA, monoplex and multiplex probe-based real-time reverse-transcription PCR assays in the detection of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and influenza A and B viruses: A cross-sectional study.

The current study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay and monoplex and multiplex real-time reverse-transcription PCR (rRT-PCR) in the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza A and B viruses (Flu A and Flu B). The SARS-CoV-2 -specific IgG and IgM antibodies, as well as, Flu A (H1N1 and H3N2 serotypes) and Flu B virus antibodies were determined by ELISA assay. The one-step qRT-PCR method was used to detect the SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal swab samples. Furthermore, the presence of Flu A and B viruses was evaluated using probe-based RT-PCR. Simultaneous detection of SARS-CoV-2, Flu A and B viruses was performed by multiplex rRT-PCR assay. SARS CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies were detected in 33.3% and 58.3% of patients, respectively. In contrast, the SARS CoV-2 genome was detected in 50% of patients using the one-step monoplex RT-PCR assay. Flu A serotypes H1N1 and H3N2 were found in 16.7% and 8.3% of patients. Probe-based RT-PCR revealed that 39.3% of patients were positive for the Flu A virus. Multiplex rRT-PCR detect the SARS-CoV-2, Flu A, and Flu B in 50%, 39.3%, and 19% of samples, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of multiplex rRT-PCR assay in comparison to monoplex RT-PCR were 100% and 55%, respectively. Coinfection with SARS-CoV-2, Flu A, and Flu B viruses was found in 9.5% of patients. Multiplex rRT-PCR can be used as a repaid, cost-effective and suitable tool for molecular surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and Flu A/B viruses.

Vaccination against COVID-19 among healthcare workers as a cocoon strategy for people living with HIV

IntroductionHealthcare professionals working in infectious disease units are often engaged in the care of patients with HIV infection. A cocoon vaccination strategy may protect those who are immunocompromised from a severe course of COVID-19. MethodsThe research was conducted between January 2021 and June 2022. The study participants were 450 healthcare workers (HCWs) from the Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Warsaw who were vaccinated against COVID-19 with the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) –, thefirst available type of vaccine in Poland. Sera were collected according to the schedule of the study. Statistical analyses were performed with non-parametric tests: Wilcoxon's test was used to compare dependent numerical variables, and Fisher's exact test and the Chi-squared test to compare categorical variables. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. ResultsAmong the 450 HCWs working in the Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Warsaw 412 (91,5 %) were vaccinated against COVID-19. In total 170 (41,3 %) vaccinated HCWs were included in the final analysis. Their median age was 51 years [interquartile range (IQR): 41–60 years] and median body mass index (BMI) was 25.10 [IQR: 22.68–29.03]. Most of the cohort consisted of women (n = 137, 80.59 %), with the majority working directly with patients (n = 137, 73.21 %). It was found that as early as 14 days after the second dose of the vaccine, 100 % of the study participants achieved a positive result for SARS CoV-2 S-RBD antibodies. There were 168 subjects who had had a COVID-19 diagnosis before entering study and after vaccination 65 HCWs was diagnosed with COVID-19. ConclusionsDue to the fact that people living with HIV with severe immunodeficiency may have an incomplete immune response to COVID vaccination and be at risk of a severe course of the disease, the cocoon strategy of vaccinating medical personnel may be beneficial for these patients.

P187 Four years of experience with SARS–CoV-2 infections in patients with cystic fibrosis in a German CF centre

P187 Four years of experience with SARS–CoV-2 infections in patients with cystic fibrosis in a German CF centre

Complementary Medication for COVID-19 Outbreak Concerns in the Leprosy Community - A Passionate Proposal

Abstract: The number of COVID-19-positive cases continues to climb, causing alarm around the world. The Nilavembu (Andrographis paniculata) Kudineer of Siddha medicine, an alternative medicine practiced in India, has already been shown to be beneficial in viral outbreaks like Chikungunya and Dengue fever. Several investigations have demonstrated that these herbs have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, antibacterial, and antiviral activities against the Herpes simplex virus and Ebstein Barr virus. This herbal remedy has also been shown to have a low risk of negative side effects. There is currently no approved pharmaceutical treatment for COVID-19. Using the phrases 'COVID-19,' 'Ayush,' 'Siddha,' and 'Leprosy,' we searched other databases such as Google, Embase, ScienceDirect, and the Clinical Trial Registry of India. In another research on Siddha treatment, Kabasura Kudineer, a decoction of 15 herbal items was discovered to have activity against the spike protein of SARS COV-2 using an in-silico compound method. As there are no effective treatments available for the prevention and treatment of mild to moderate cases, these two medicines, Nilavembu Kudineer, and Kabasura Kudineer can be used as part of a COVID-19 prophylaxis using a combination of modern and alternative medicine.

Immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine administered to patients with solid cancers under systemic treatment: A prospective, monocentric study (Immunocovid-19).

e23093 Background: Despite vaccination, COVID-19 could still cause severe disease in immunocompromised patients (pts). While subsequent vaccine doses increase immune response in the general population, few data concerning cancer pts under systemic treatment are reported. Methods: This study will be conducted on blood samples from 1000 pts admitted to Reggio Emilia AUSL-IRCCS Cancer Center and undergoing systemic therapies who received ≥ 2 vaccine doses. The samples will be analyzed at Clinical Microbiology and Chemistry Laboratories of Reggio Emilia AUSL-IRCCS. We will perform antibody IgM-IgG serology by means of COVID-19 VIRCLIA® Monotest and anti-spike antibodies evaluation using LIAISON® SARS CoV-2 Trimerics IgG. We will also investigate cell immune response (B and T lymphocyte counts) and analyze specific lymphocyte subsets on the first 200 pts treated with chemo- (CT) or immunotherapy (IO). Then, we will evaluate the T-cell response on the first 50 pts and those with an inadequate anti-spike serologic response through the T-SPOT.COVID test. Statistical analyses will be conducted by the Clinical Studies and Statistical Unit Staff. Results: Here, we report preliminary data on the first 240 pts enrolled and treated with CT (55.4%), IO (26.3%), or other therapies (18.3%). Most of the pts were male (58%), had metastatic cancer (82%), and no previous COVID-19 infection (60%). 84% of pts were affected by gastrointestinal, lung, urogenital and breast cancer. We stratified pts in three groups according to the time from the last vaccine dose (0-6/6-12/ &gt; 12 months). We showed no significant decrease in cellular and humoral immune response over time from the last vaccine dose, independent of the specific treatment received, also if CT (Table 1). Furthermore, clinical characteristics as gender, treatment, and primary tumor site appear not to influence immune response, even if a trend to a higher response in pts previously affected by COVID-19 has been observed. The T-SPOT.COVID test performed on the first 27 pts showed that 19% had no T-cell activation, even with good IgG response. Conclusions: This feasible and cost-effective study has a potential impact on public health. Although these are preliminary data, the immune response to COVID-19 vaccines remains good after 12 months from the last dose administered in cancer pts. The enrollment is ongoing, and we could provide relevant information on the influence of clinical factors on the immune response and identify specific subgroups that could benefit from different vaccine approaches. [Table: see text]

Assessment of post-SARS-CoV-2 fatigue among physicians working in COVID-designated hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Fatigue has been observed after the outbreaks of several infectious diseases around the world. To explore the fatigue level among physicians working in COVID-19-designated hospitals in Bangladesh, a matched case‒control study was conducted on post-SARS-CoV-2 fatigue. In this study, 105 physicians diagnosed with COVID-19 who were declared cured at least 6weeks before the interview date were recruited as cases, and the same number of age- and designation-matched healthy physicians were recruited as controls from the same hospital at a 1:1 ratio. Diagnosis of COVID-19 infection was confirmed by detection of SARS CoV-2 antigen by RT‒PCR from reference laboratories in Bangladesh or by HRCT chest. Approximately two-thirds of the physicians were male (67.6% vs. 32.4%). More than 80% of them were younger than 40 years. The cases had a significantly greater number of comorbid conditions. The fatigue severity scale (FSS) score (mean) was much higher for cases (36.7±5.3 vs. 19.3±3.8) than for the control group, with a statistically significant difference. Similarly, approximately 67.7% of the previously COVID-19-positive physicians were in the highest FSS score tertile compared to the respondents in the control group, who had a mean score of <3. Physicians who had a previous history of COVID-19 infection had significantly higher total and mean FSS scores, signifying a more severe level of fatigue than physicians who had never been COVID-19 positive while working in the same hospital irrespective of their age and sex.

High Doses of Dexamethasone Improved Hemoglobin Levels Lowered by Corona Virus in COVID-19 Infected Patients

Corona virus an infectious disease caused by SARS–CoV-2 virus that lower hemoglobin level leading to worsening of the conditions. The respiratory symptoms are treated by steroids and patients are rapidly recovered. Objective: To study the effect of high and low doses of dexamethasone on hemoglobin level in COVID-19 infected patients. Methods: This experimental study was carried out in Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad between May 2021 to Sep 2021 on 100 adult male and female of COVID-19 patients having blood hemoglobin level &lt; 10 g/dl. For different doses of dexamethasone patients were divided into two groups of 50 patients in each group. Blood samples were taken on day 01 and day 15 for hemoglobin analysis. Mean and standard deviation of both groups was calculated and p-value of &lt; 0.05 was considered significant. Results: At the time of admission 74% of the patients had a cough, 89% of the patients presented with fever, 98% had increased heart rate whereas 100% of the patients presented with the complaint of fatigue. Mean Hemoglobin (Hb) levels of both groups were compared on day 01 and day 15 respectively. The comparison of Hb levels showed a significant difference on day 15, there was a marked increase in Hb levels in the group which was taking 12mg/day of dexamethasone as compared to the group which was taking 6mg/day of dexamethasone (P-value &lt;0.05). Conclusions: Administration of high doses of Dexamethasone caused a pronounced increase in hemoglobin levels in COVID-19 patients

A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS: RISK FACTORS OF MORTALITY COVID-19

Background: COVID-19 is still a threat throughout the world because of its high morbidity and mortality. Comorbid diseases like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and heart disease are some of the factors in the high severity and mortality of COVID-19 patients. Purpose: The study aims to analyze the effect of risk factors on COVID-19 mortality using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Articles were taken from online journal portals Pubmed, Garuda, and Google Cendekia, and all were published from October 2019 to December 2021 in full text and with an observational study design. The keywords used in searching the articles were "COVID-19", "sars cov 2", "2019-nCoV", "2019 novel coronavirus", "COVID-19 deaths", and "COVID-19 mortality". The articles were collected using a PRISMA diagram; then, data extraction was carried out in a systematic review. The data was synthesized by using a meta-analysis technique using the RevMan application. Results: This study analyzed 59 articles and found that age, hypertension OR=3.09 (2.69-3.56), sex OR= 1.29 (1.08-1.53), and diabetes mellitus OR=3.03 (2.66-3.44) are the risk factors for COVID-19 death. Conclusion: The death in COVID-19 patients is influenced by elderly age, gender, and comorbid disease (diabetes and hypertension). These COVID-19-death-related factors can help health workers recognize and prevent a more severe stage of the disease through more appropriate handling and treatment.

Specification of a governance model for Covid-19

In the emergence of the SARS CoV-2 coronavirus and Covid-19, this work set out to investigate university governance as an effect of the pandemic and as a scientific response through the formation of a panel of experts or advice on risk management, communication and management. A documentary, systematic and retrospective study was carried out with a selection of sources indexed to international repositories, considering the period from 2019 to 2021. Three categories of discussion were found that were qualified by expert judges, establishing patrimonialism as the guiding axis of doe extracts of findings selected for meta-analysis. It is suggested to orient the research towards the incidence of the panel of experts in the decisions of governments as health policies in the face of the health and economic crisis.

Role of prior immunity in binding to spike of “future” Omicron subvariants

BackgroundThroughout the COVID-19 pandemic, virus evolution and large-scale vaccination programs have caused multiple exposures to SARS CoV-2 spike protein, resulting in complex antibody profiles. The binding of these to spike protein of “future” variants in the context of such heterogeneous exposure has not been studied. MethodsWe tested archival sera (Delta and Omicron period) stratified by anti-spike antibody (including IgG) levels for reactivity to Omicron-subvariants(BA.1, BA.2,BA.2.12.1, BA.2.75, BA.4/5 and BF.7) spike protein. Assessed antigenic distance between groups using Antigenic Cartography and performed hierarchical clustering of antibody data in a Euclidean distance framework. ResultsAntibody (including IgG) antibody reactivity to Wild-type (CLIA) and subvariants (ELISA) spike protein were similar between periods (p > 0.05). Both 'High S′ and ‘Low S’ of Delta and Omicron periods were closely related to “future” subvariants by Antigenic Cartography. Sera from different S groups clustered together with ‘Low S’ interspersed between ‘High S’ on hierarchical clustering, suggesting common binding sites. Further, anti-spike antibodies (including IgG) to Wild-type (S1/S2 and Trimeric S) clustered with Omicron-subvariant binding antibodies. ConclusionsHybrid immunity caused by cumulative virus exposure in Delta or Omicron periods resulted in equivalent binding to “future” variants, which might be due to binding to conserved regions of spike protein of future variants. A prominent finding is that the ‘Low S’ antibody demonstrates similar binding.

Effect of disease activity on the clinical outcome of SARS CoV-2 in patients with underlying rheumatic diseases; data from global rheumatology alliance

Objectives: To determine the effect of disease activity on clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease-2019 in patients with rheumatic diseases. Method: The prospective, cohort study was conducted from January 1st to June 30th, 2021, at Rheumatology department, Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi. It comprised patients of rheumatic disorders who were affected by coronavirus disease-2019. The patients were categorised according to rheumatic disease activity into remission group I, low disease activity group II, moderate group III and high–activity group IV. Coronavirus disease-2019 outcomes compared included recovered vs death, hospitalisation yes vs no, mechanical ventilation yes vs no. The association of disease activity status with coronavirus disease-2019 outcomes was explored. Data was analysed using SPSS 23. Results: Of the 100 patients, 78(78%) were females and 22(22%) were males. The overall mean age was 45.60±13.7 years. There were 23(23%) patients in group I, 42(42%) patients in group II, 21(21%) patients in group III and 14(14%) patients in group IV. Overall,17(17%) patients died and 83(83%) patients survived. In group III, 7(33.3%) patients died, followed by 6(42.9%) in group IV (p&lt;0.05). In total, 7(7%) patients needed mechanical ventilation, with 3(21.4%) being in group IV (p&lt;0.05). Hospitalisation was needed in 33(33%) cases, and intergroup comparison was non-significant (p&gt;0.05). Conclusion: Patients with severe rheumatic autoimmune disease affected by coronavirus disease-2019were more likely to die and require invasive ventilation. Key Words: Arthritis, Connective tissue diseases, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis, Scleroderma, Vasculitis.