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COVID 19 Updates from RheumNow

What is Colchicine Worth? (6.23.2023)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. This week a new colchicine FDA approval, rising rate of IgG4 related disease and what's the safest biologic?

Allergic Drug-Induced Arthritis (5.19.2023)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com.  This week we delve into some odd associations, repeat drug warnings and the consequences of antirheumatic therapies.

One in Ten is Bad! (5.12.2023)

This week on the Podcast Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles, including the risks of dying, developing RA or autoimmune disease!

  1. Does King Charles have Sausage Digits (dactylitis) or OA? https://t.co/mRis21OWKH

2022 EULAR Recommendations on Screening and Prophylaxis for Opportunistic Infections

Opportunistic and chronic infections may be rare and are often difficult to diagnose, especially in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRD), that may be immunocompromised.

Industry Payments to Rheumatologists Dropped During COVID

MedPage Today

Having their clinics shut down and patients staying away during the COVID-19 pandemic was bad enough for physicians' finances, but now a new study finds that, at least for rheumatologists, payments from industry dried up as well.

Faith and Miracle Larry

This week on the podcast, Dr. Jack Cush recalls what life was like early on during COVID, from March to June of 2020.  During this time, his close friend, Larry, contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalized, intubated and put on mechanical ventilation for nearly 2 months.

2022 Rheumatology Year in Review (1-6-2023)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the best of 2022 in Rheumatology - highlights on new drug indications, breakthrough lupus therapies, new biosimilars and the multivitamin letdown.

Best of 2022: Freeze Tag

Editor's note: this blog originally published on January 22, 2022, and is being shared again as a Best of 2022. Enjoy!

COVID-19 Vaccine Responses in Rheumatic Disease Patients

Nature Reviews Rheumatology features a review of three notable papers that address the impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on people with inflammatory rheumatic disease. 

Vaccine Efficacy in Patients with Seronegative Spondyloarthritis

Vaccine efficacy remains an important and highly discussed topic at this year’s annual meeting given the ongoing COVID-19 global health crisis, current influenza season, and recently published 2022 ACR guidelines for vaccinations in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

Does Evusheld shield people living with rheumatic diseases?

Fast forward nearly 3 years since the first case of COVID-19 was reported, and I am amazed of the speed of response on how to keep our patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease (RMD) safe from this infection.

Long COVID and Rheumatic Disease

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact worldwide particularly among those who are immunocompromised. Numerous studies have highlighted the increased risk of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection among patients with rheumatic diseases (RD).

Social

Our collaborative study on nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) virologic rebound is out in @AnnalsofIM @DrJLi @zach_wallace_md -Paxlovid: 21% with rebound vs. 2% in untreated (OR 10) https://t.co/RRDxerGdBy

Jeffrey Sparks MD MMSc @jeffsparks ( View Tweet )

5 months ago
Is rituximab still a problem with COVID - esp if our patients have been vaccinated pre-ritux? Antibody titres better when not getting regular ritux around boosters Maybe boosters 9mo (or so) gap after ritux helps immunogenicity @TroldborgAnne et al #ACR23 ABST2511 @RheumNow https://t.co/dE0uC6B9hx
David Liew @drdavidliew ( View Tweet )
5 months ago
A#2316 #ACR23 @RheumNow 91 SLE pts w COVID v 182 SLE wo COVID ifn 11 SLE/COVID: serious disease 1 death, 7 severe compl W/in 90d, 15% mild/mod SLE flare 2% severe SLE flare Flare rate 17.6% higher than no COVID ifn 5% p=0.001 High HV ifn (2% v 1%) dsDNA/C3 changes not signif diff https://t.co/dxGJNNWuFy
Eric Dein ( View Tweet )
5 months ago
Two-week interruption of MTX for IMIDs enhanced boost of antibody responses after COVID-19 vaccination, sustained at 12, 26 weeks. Consistent across ages, MTX doses, route, IMIDs, primary vaccination platform,COVID-19, Abhishek A Abst#1677 #ACR23 @RheumNow https://t.co/T0KdsGh6vg

Dr. Antoni Chan ( View Tweet )

5 months ago
VROOM 🏎️ study 2 wks interruption of MTX just after COVID vaccine: -Increase S1-RBD Ab response for 26 wks -Improves Neutralizing Ab titres (Wuhan Hu-1) -Leads to more flares wks 4 & 12 Greater effect when MTX dose>15mg @RheumNow #ACR23 ABST1677 https://t.co/SJmaRHtbRH
Aurelie Najm ( View Tweet )
5 months ago
Abishek et al. 2 week break from MTX enhances response to COVID-19 vaccination, mirroring what we saw for flu. Trade off is short term worsening of disease activity. Abstr#1677 #ACR23 @RheumNow https://t.co/gguRWER81x https://t.co/1hncvDTahH
Richard Conway ( View Tweet )
5 months ago
@Dr_K presenting long COVID data from FORWARD RA. These pts had some symtoms before COVID!- More comorbidites, depression patient reported scores, fibromyalgia but no different DMRD use. PHQ8 and wodepread paid were the most important PROMs @RheumNow #ACR23 https://t.co/JaWc4oDnaI
Bella Mehta @bella_mehta ( View Tweet )
5 months ago
Michaud et al. RA patients with long COVID had more fibromyalgia pre-COVID (41% vs 13%), higher rates of pain, depression, and worse PROs pre-COVID. Authors suggest long COVID may partially reflect pre-existing illness Abstr#1629 #ACR23 #ACRbest @RheumNow https://t.co/mrcGWrSD6c https://t.co/YiGCbvBDtn
Richard Conway ( View Tweet )
5 months ago
COVID boosters in RA patients: getting the job done (versus healthy controls, irrespective of non-withheld DMARDs excluding ritux) @UChicagoMed #ACR23 ABST0416 @RheumNow https://t.co/HVRjC4dauw
David Liew @drdavidliew ( View Tweet )
5 months 1 week ago
Ph 3 360 pt RCT of sarilumab in #GCA was terminated early (COVID). 83 pts Rx'd, only 35%(29) completed. Sustained remission @wk 52: - SAR 200: 6/13 - SAR 150: 3/7 - PBO: 0/6 All had 26wk GC taper Sm sample size & COVID ruined RCT interpretation https://t.co/axOvJGpUti #PMR https://t.co/Xpabxn1IjZ
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet )
5 months 2 weeks ago