ABSTRACT
Background: We assessed the risk factors and outcome of COVID-19 in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRD) who contracted infection while on background treatment with tofacitinib. Method(s): This is a non-interventional, cross-sectional, questionnaire based telephonic study which included consecutive AIRD patients on tofacitinib co-treatment. Data related to the AIRD subset, disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) including glucocorticoids and comorbidities, was collected from 7 rheumatology centers across Karnataka during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. The information about COVID-19 occurrence and COVID-19 vaccination was recorded. Result(s): During the study period (June-July 2021), 335 AIRD patients (80.6% female) on treatment with tofacitinib were included. The mean duration of tofacitinib use was 3.4 +/- 3.1 months. Thirty-six (10.75%) patients developed COVID-19. Diabetes mellitus P = 0.04 (OR 2.60 [1.13-5.99]) was identified as a risk factors for COVID-19 in our cohort. Almost half of our cohort was COVID-19 vaccinated with at least one dose, with resultant decline in incidence of COVID-19 (OR 0.15 [0.06-0.39]) among the vaccinated. Recovery among COVID-19 infection group was 91.2%. Conclusion(s): The AIRD patients on co-treatment with tofacitinib had a higher incidence of COVID-19 than the general population during the same time period. Diabetes mellitus was identified as an independent risk factor in our cohort. COVID-19 vaccinated patients contracted COVID-19 at a significantly lesser rate than the non-vaccinated patients.
ABSTRACT
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused by novel beta-coronavirus has emerged as a cause of coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) declared by Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Korean oriental medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and Indian systems of medicine known as AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa and Homeopathy) had implemented various prophylactic measures and interim treatment guidelines in prevention and treatment for COVID -19 cases. However, even though different approaches were implemented to break the epidemic chain, we have not reached herd effect or herd immunity in the Indian population. Therefore, in this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a specific study on immune markers of IL-6 (Interleukin-6), D-Dimer, Ferritine, CRP (C-reactive protein) with SARS CoV-2 specific IgG & IgM antibodies need to be investigated for generating hard-core evidence for homeoprophylaxis in terms of immunity response. Therefore, there seems to be a need to revisit the program of homeoprophylaxis in the COVID -19 pandemic © International Journal of High Dilution Research