ABSTRACT
Objectives: To describe the incidence and severity of COVID-19 disease in Spondyloarthritis patients in Argentina. Methods: Patients with axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) radiological (AS) and non-radiological (AxSpA-nr) and peripheral spondyloarthritis (according to ASAS criteria, SpAp) and Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (according to CASPAR criteria) were included. The patients were followed up by phone or in person on a monthly basis. Data were collected from 1/4/2020 to 20 / 9/2020. Descriptive statistics were performed with mean and standard deviation (SD) and median and 25-75 percentile according to distribution, and the cumulative incidence (CI) of the disease was calculated. Results: 320 patients were included, of which 55%were male, with a mean age of 50 (SD 13), 21.6% had a diagnosis of AS, 6.9% AxSpA-nr, 6.9% SpAp and 64.7% PsA. The duration of the disease was 11 (5-16), BASDAI 3.65 (3), BASFI 3 (1.5-9), PASI 0.3 (0-7), BSA 0.2 (0-6). Fourteen patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 (4.4%) were reported, of which 10 diagnoses were by positive PCR and 4 by symptoms associated with positive close contact. Thirteen (93%) cases were patients from the Province of Buenos and Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA) and 1 patient from Santiago del Estero. The total CI of the country was 0.04, the CI of the Province of Buenos Aires + CABA 0.04, and the CI of the rest of the provinces 0.01. Of the 14 patients with COVID-19: 50% were men;4 have a diagnosis of AS, 1 of SpAax-nr, 9 (64.3%) PsA. All of them in urban areas, 79% have social work, 2 (14%) have hypertension, 1 (7%) diabetes mellitus, 4 (28.6%), hypothyroidism, 1 (7%) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 2 (14%) Depression o Anxiety. Regarding the treatments: 4 (28.6%) were in treatment with anti TNF (3 with Adalimumab, 1 with certolizumab pegol), 4 (28.6%) with Anti IL17 (3 with Secukinumab and 1 with Ixekizumab), 8 (57%) methotrexate and 2 (14%) Leflunomide, 1 (7%) were under treatment with Enalapril, 1 (7%) with Losartan. 10 (71.4%) stayed at home, 3 (21.4%) hospitalized in the common room and 1 (7) in the intensive care unit. No patients died due to COVID-19. Conclusion: An incidence of 4.4% of COVID-19 was found in this SpA population, most of the cases occurred in the Province of Buenos Aires and CABA, most of them suffered mild symptoms and no deaths were reported.