Clinical course and outcomes of COVID-19 in rheumatic disease patients: a case cohort study with a diverse population

To determine clinical course and outcomes in rheumatic disease patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and compare results to uninfected patients.

We conducted a case cohort study of autoimmune disease patients with COVID-19 (confirmed by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 PCR) from February 1, 2020, to July 31, 2020, and compared them in a 1:3 ratio with uninfected patients who were matched based on race, age, sex, and comorbidity index. Patient demographics, clinical course, and outcomes were compared among these patient groups.

A total of 70 rheumatic disease patients with COVID-19 (mean age, 56.6 years; 64% African American) were identified. The 34 (49%) patients who were hospitalized used oral glucocorticoids more frequently than those treated as outpatients (p < 0.01). All 10 patients using anti-TNFα medications were treated as outpatients (p < 0.01). Those hospitalized with COVID-19 more often required ICU admission (17 (50%) vs 27 (26%), p = 0.01) and intubation (10 (29%) vs 6 (6%), p < 0.01) than uninfected patients and had higher mortality rates (6 (18%) vs 3 (3%), p < 0.01). Of the six COVID-19 patients who died, only one was of African ancestry (p = 0.03).

Rheumatic disease patients infected with COVID-19 were more likely to require ICU admission, ventilation, and died more frequently versus uninfected patients with autoimmune disease. Patients on anti-TNFα medications were hospitalized less frequently, while those on chronic glucocorticoids were hospitalized more frequently. These findings have important implications for medication choice in rheumatic disease patients during the ongoing spread of COVID-19. Key Points • We show that hospitalized rheumatic disease patients with COVID-19 have poorer outcomes including ICU admission, ventilation, and death compared to hospitalized rheumatic disease patients not infected with COVID-19. • This study adds further support regarding protective effects of anti-TNFα medications in COVID-19 disease course, with 0 of 10 of these patients required hospitalization.