Clinical features and treatments in patients with rheumatic diseases on targeted therapies with the diagnosis of COVID-19
| Variable | RA | SpA | Other rheumatic diseases | Total |
| N | 21 | 12 | 8 | 41 |
| Age at COVID-19 onset, years (SD) | 61.3 (13.9) | 57.1 (11.5) | 57.1 (23.9) | 59.4 (15.6) |
| Sex, female, n (%) | 14 (66.6) | 5 (41.7) | 6 (75.0) | 25 (61.0) |
| Disease duration (time since rheumatic diagnosis to COVID-19), years (SD) | 12.0 (8.3) | 15.0 (14.2) | 11.4 (7.9) | 12.8 (9.8) |
| Time with bDMARDs/tsDMARDs (time since beginning of treatment to COVID-19), years (SD) | 5.8 (5.2) | 5.3 (5.8) | 5.7 (9.6) | 5.7 (5.7) |
| Comorbidities and risk factors | ||||
| Charlson index, mean (SD) | 2.5 (1.6) | 2.3 (1.7) | 3.4 (3.1) | 2.6 (2.0) |
| BMI, mean (SD) | 27.9 (5.1) | 29.4 (4.7) | 25.2 (7.5) | 27.7 (5.6) |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 6 (28.6) | 5 (41.7) | 4 (50.0) | 15 (36.6) |
| Smoking status, n (%) | ||||
| Never smoker | 14 (66.7) | 8 (66.7) | 5 (62.5) | 27 (65.8) |
| Current smoker | 2 (9.5) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (25.0) | 4 (9.8) |
| Former smoker | 5 (23.8) | 4 (33.3) | 1 (12.5) | 10 (24.4) |
| COVID-19 diagnosis, evolution and outcome | ||||
| COVID-19 diagnosis, n (%) | ||||
| Confirmed cases (positive PCR test) | 16 (76.2) | 8 (66.7) | 7 (87.5) | 31 (75.6) |
| Suspicious cases (highly compatible clinical picture) | 5 (23.8) | 4 (33.3) | 1 (12.5) | 10 (24.4) |
| COVID-19 outcome | ||||
| Recovered without sequelae | 18 (85.7) | 11 (91.7) | 6 (75.0) | 35 (85.4) |
| Not yet recovered | 2 (9.5) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (12.5) | 3 (7.3) |
| Death | 1 (4.8) | 1 (8.3) | 1 (12.5) | 3 (7.3) |
| Hospitalisation, n (%) | 16 (76.2) | 8 (66.7) | 4 (50.0) | 28 (68.3) |
| Intensive care unit, n (%) | 4 (19.0) | 2 (16.7) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (14.6) |
| Rheumatic disease: treatment and clinical features | ||||
| Last DAS-28 available (previous to COVID-19), mean (SD) | 3.9 (1.4) | 3.3 (1.3) | – | 3.6 (1.4) |
| bDMARD/tsDMARDs previous to COVID-19), n (%) | ||||
| TNF inhibitors | 7 (33.3) | 7 (58.3) | 4 (50.0) | 18 (43.9) |
| Anti-IL6 monoclonal antibodies | 3 (14.3) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (25.0) | 5 (12.2) |
| Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies | 2 (9.5) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (12.5) | 3 (7.3) |
| Anti-IL1 monoclonal antibodies | 1 (4.8) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.4) |
| Anti-IL17A monoclonal antibodies | 0 (0.0) | 5 (41.7) | 0 (0.0) | 5 (12.2) |
| Abatacept | 1 (4.8) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (12.5) | 2 (4.9) |
| JAK inhibitors | 7 (33.3) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (17.1) |
| Baricitinib | 4 (9.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (9.8) |
| Tofacitinib | 3 (14.3) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (7.3) |
| Number of previous bDMARD/tsDMARDs, mean (SD) | 4.2 (2.9) | 2.0 (1.0) | 1.6 (0.7) | 3.0 (2.4) |
| Use of concomitant csDMARDS | ||||
| Methotrexate | 11 (52.4) | 4 (33.3) | 2 (25.0) | 17 (41.5) |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 2 (9.5) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (25.0) | 4 (9.8) |
| Others | 0 (0.0) | 2 (16.7) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (4.9) |
| Monotherapy | 12 (57.1) | 6 (50.0) | 4 (50.0) | 22 (53.7) |
| Use of glucocorticoids, n (%) | 13 (61.9) | 2 (16.7) | 5 (62.5) | 20 (83.3) |
| Dose of glucocorticoids (before COVID-19), mg, mean (SD) | 5.5 (3.3) | 7.5 (2.1) | 6 (2.2) | 5.8 (2.9) |
| Concomitant use of NSAIDs, n (%) | 7 (33.3) | 3 (25.0) | 0 (0.0) | 10 (24.4) |
bDMARDs, biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; BMI, body mass index; n, number of patients; NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; SpA, spondyloarthropathies; tsDMARDs, targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.