Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Patients with Systemic Autoinflammatory Diseases. An international survey

Main Article Content

S Nazzar, MD L. Nandini Moorthy, MD, MBBS, MS Jennifer Tousseau Sivia Lapidus, MD Leanne Mansfield, MD Marinka Twilt, MD, PhD Grant Schulert, MD, PhD Maria J. Gutierrez, MD, MHS, MBA Smriti Mohan, MD Saskya Angevare Karen Durrant, RN, BSN Fatma Dedeoglu, MD

Abstract

Background: Early in the COVID-19 pandemic it was recognized that individuals who had worse prognoses had hyperinflammatory reactions associated with SARS CoV-2. This was worrisome for patients with systemic autoinflammatory diseases (SAID) who already have episodic hyperinflammation at baseline.


Aim: To assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and SARS CoV-2 infection on patients with SAID.


Methods: An anonymous survey developed on the Survey Monkey platform was distributed online through social media and support groups of patients with SAID between January 20th and May 17th of 2021.


Results: We analyzed 484 surveys that conveyed data from 593 patients with SAID. Seventy-four percent of the surveys were answered in the United States, US territories, and Canada (n=360/484) and the rest from other countries. Sixty percent (n=330/547) of patients with SAID did not experience changes in the frequency of flares during the first year of the pandemic. Ten percent (n=52/545) of patients had presumed or confirmed COVID-19. Of those, 81% (n=42/52) had mild and moderate symptoms and 4 were hospitalized. Thirty-one percent (n=16/52) experienced flares during or after the infection and 40% (n=21/52) reported post-COVID manifestations. The individuals who had moderate symptoms or were hospitalized for COVID-19 were more likely to report post-COVID manifestations, OR 5.25 (95%CI 1.57-17.6, p=0.0072). Post-COVID integumentary manifestations occurred after asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 whereas neurologic manifestations occurred after acute COVID-19 with moderate symptoms or requiring hospitalization.


Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, over half of patients with SAID did not experience changes in the frequency of flares despite a decreased exposure to environmental triggers. Few individuals with SAID required hospitalization for COVID-19. The presence and type of post-COVID manifestations were associated with the severity of acute COVID-19 in patients with SAID.

Article Details

How to Cite
NAZZAR, S et al. Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Patients with Systemic Autoinflammatory Diseases. An international survey. Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 12, n. 10, oct. 2024. ISSN 2375-1924. Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/5990>. Date accessed: 03 dec. 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i10.5990.
Section
Research Articles

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