Risk of COVID-19 Infection After Full Immunization in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease on Treatment: A Research Network Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an issue in treating patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) due to concerns for infection risk and poor post-vaccination antibody response. We examined the potential impact of IBD treatments on SARS-CoV-2 infection rates after full immunization against COVID-19. METHODS: Patients who received vaccines between January 2020 and July 2021 were identified. The post-immunization Covid-19 infection rate at 3 and 6 months was assessed in IBD patients receiving treatment. The infection rates were compared to patients without IBD.  Results: The total number of IBD patients was 143,248; of those (n=9405), 6.6% were fully vaccinated. In IBD patients taking biologic agents/small molecules, no difference in Covid-19 infection rate was found at 3 (1.3% vs. 0.97%, p=0.30) and 6 months (2.2% vs. 1.7%, p=0.19) when compared to non-IBD patients. No significant difference in Covid-19 infection rate was found among patients receiving systemic steroids at 3 (1.6% vs. 1.6%, p=1) and 6 months (2.6% vs. 2.9%, p=0.50) between the IBD and non-IBD cohorts.  Conclusions: The COVID-19 immunization rate is suboptimal among IBD patients (6.6%). Vaccination in this cohort is under-utilized and should be encouraged by all healthcare providers.

The Effect of Ivermectin on Cases of COVID-19.

Ivermectin is an antiviral agent that has historically had a wide variety of uses. Recently, it has gained popularity in the mainstream media for use in treating and preventing COVID-19 infection, prompting high sales in veterinary grade Ivermectin. Studies are increasingly looking at Ivermectin as a possible agent for prevention and treatment of COVID-19, however further information is needed to assess efficacy and safety. Our project aimed to evaluate mortality differences in patients with COVID-19 infection who were prescribed Ivermectin vs. those not prescribed Ivermectin. Adult patients with active COVID-19 infection who were not prescribed Ivermectin (n = 797,285 Outpatient, n = 481,705 Inpatient, and n = 58,050 Intensive care unit), and those prescribed Ivermectin (n = 804 Outpatient, n = 1774 Inpatient, and n = 107 Intensive care unit) were evaluated. The cohorts were then evaluated for mortality comparing patients prescribed Ivermectin and those not prescribed Ivermectin in the Outpatient (7.7 % vs 2.2 %, P < 0.001), Inpatient not requiring Intensive Care (15.6 % vs 7.2 %, P ≤ 0.001), and Intensive care (20.6 % vs 19.6 %, P = 0.86) treatment settings.

Acute Pancreatitis Due to COVID-19 Active Infection.

Background This study investigates the relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and acute pancreatitis. We present large registry data assessing the association between acute pancreatitis and mortality in patients with COVID-19 post-infection. Methods The researchers identified adult patients aged 18-90 years with COVID-19 infections in the TriNetX (COVID-19 research network) database between January 20, 2020, and June 1, 2021. The researchers identified n=1,039,688 cases divided into two cohorts: those with post-acute pancreatitis (n= 1,173) and those without post-acute pancreatitis (n=1,038,515) post COVID-19 infection having follow-up within a two-week period. The researchers then conducted a 1:1 propensity score match to account for differences in the cohorts and created two well-matched cohorts (n=1,173/1,173). Results Patients that developed acute pancreatitis had higher mortality (12.4% vs 3.7%, p<0.001), stroke (3.6% vs 1.7%, p=0.005), higher inpatient admissions (28.2% vs 10.6%, p<0.001), and higher rates of ICU admission (9.5% vs 3.2%, p<0.001). Conclusion In a large multinational federated database, we observed higher mortality, stroke, higher inpatient admissions, and higher rates of ICU admissions among patients with COVID-19 with pancreatitis.