COVID-19 and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: effect of disease and treatment on COVID-19 outcomes and vaccine responses. (October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fagni, Filippo; Simon, David; Tascilar, Koray; Schoenau, Verena; Sticherling, Michael; Neurath, Markus F; Schett, Georg
• Is Part Of: Lancet. Volume 3:Number 10(2021)
• Page Start: e724
• Page End: e736
• Publication Date: 2021-10
• Subjects: Rheumatology -- periodicals; 616.72305
• DOI: 10.1016/S2665-9913(21)00247-2
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2665-9913

Abstract

Summary: At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases were considered to be at high risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19. Data collected over the past year, however, suggest that a diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis, psoriasis, or inflammatory bowel diseases does not increase risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe COVID-19 compared with people without these diseases. Furthermore, substantial data suggest that certain medications frequently used in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, in particular cytokine inhibitors, might even lower the risk for severe COVID-19. Conversely, glucocorticoids and potentially B-cell-depleting treatments seem to worsen COVID-19 outcomes. Additionally, the first data on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with these diseases suggest that tolerability of vaccination in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases is good, although the immune response to vaccination can be somewhat reduced in this patient group, particularly those taking methotrexate or CD20-targeted treatment.