Skip to main content

COVID 19 Updates from RheumNow

ICYMI: 2021 Rheumatology Year in Review

Editor's note: This podcast originally appeared January 8, 2022. 

“One faces the future with one’s past” – Pearl S. Buck

2021 was the year we waited for the other shoe to drop; with the pandemic stone in your shoe, you waited for:

What Worries You, Masters You (7.1.2022)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews recent news, regulatory and guideline updates from the past week on RheumNow.com.  Studies on methotrexate use, COVID vaccination, Supplements and vitamins, and arthrocentesis despite anticoagulation are discussed.

Two Week Methotrexate Hold with COVID-19 Vaccination

A cohort study of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients evaluated immunogenicity of COVID vaccination with and without holding methotrexate (MTX) for and 2-weeks and showed better immunogenicity, but more RA flares with the second MTX withdrawal. 

COVID-19 Death is Dependent on Age and Type I IFN Autoantibodies

A study in PNAS of has shown that autoantibodies against type I interferons (IFNs) are strong predictors of death from COVID-19.

What Happened to Kawasaki Disease During COVID-19?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a new COVID-related syndrome in children, the "Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children" (MIS), was described as being similar to but distinctly different than

Spondyloarthritis and COVID-19

COVID-19 and our rheumatic diseases remains a hot topic. With the availability of vaccines and new therapeutics, many of our patients are now fully vaccinated and boosted.

Recommendations – Good & Bad (5.27.2022)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, regulatory updates and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. This week gout worries, mortality risks, measuring anti-drug antibodies and a better way in lupus?

Increasing Corticosteroid Use in Non-Hospitalized COVID-19

JAMA reports that despite NIH recommendations (that corticosteroids only be used in hospitalized COVID-19 patients), nonhospitalized COVID infected patients were oftent prescribed systemic corticosteroids.

Long COVID Manifestations

MMWR

The acute consequences of a SARS-CoV-2 infection may be bothersome or devastating, but the long-term consequences may lead to so-called "long COVID" syndrome.  Long COVID appears to affect up to 20% of those who survive COVID-19 infection. 

The Inflammation Reflex (5.20.2022)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. This week, neuroimmunology leading to therapy, the cold shoulder approach and Regulatory updates from the FDA.

Methotrexate Monitoring (5.13.2022)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. Bad news for digitial ulcers in Systemic sclerosis, Readmissions in Lupus and Thrombocytopenia in APL patients.

Social

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 )
1 year 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 )
1 year ago
Comparison of 354 527 COVID-19 infected vs 6.1 mill controls shows COVID incr risk of alopecia areata (aHR 1.12), alopecia totalis (aHR 1.74), ANCA vasculitis (aHR 2.76), Crohns (aHR), & sarcoidosis (aHR). https://t.co/enwb2taza4 https://t.co/ljY7uMPIrm
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet )
1 year 1 month ago
While COVID rates are near historic lows & far less dangerous, hospitalizations are up 10.3%, ER visits up 7%, pos. tests rose to 6.3% from 5.8% in the last week https://t.co/TFAt4p24au

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet )

1 year 4 months ago
RA Biologics Lower COVID-19 Deaths, but Not Recovery Time Do abatacept, cenicriviroc, or infliximab improve time to recovery for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia compared with standard care? https://t.co/o56m9WumiC. https://t.co/GHe1RprDnk
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet )
1 year 4 months ago
An RCT of 1136 newly COVID test positive pts compared long term outcomes if immediately given METFORMIN or Placebo. Cumulative incidence of long COVID at day 300 was 6.3% w/ metformin vs 10.4% w/ placebo (HR 0.59; HR 037 if given w/in 3d) https://t.co/aCTX7xFewW https://t.co/xbBeED9K7U
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet )
1 year 5 months ago
Factors associated with higher prevalence of post COVID-19 condition include female sex, age, asthma, diabetes, hypertension, number of symptoms in the acute phase and possible mechanisms causing the syndrome, Mayssam Nehme, COVID-19, #EULAR2023 https://t.co/IzHEQqfPb1
Dr. Antoni Chan @synovialjoints ( View Tweet )
1 year 5 months ago
Reflections on COVID-19 and autoimmunity: post-vaccination autoimmunity is not specific to COVID-19, autoimmunity is not autoimmune disease, the large numbers may result in the perception of increased occurrence of autoimmunity, Schulze-Koops H, COVID-19, #EULAR2023 @RheumNow https://t.co/Rm9OEWrBzo
Dr. Antoni Chan @synovialjoints ( View Tweet )
1 year 5 months ago
Factors related to having a flare of arthritis during COVID-19 include female gender, higher disease activity, no DMARD at time of vaccination. Stopping DMARDs need to be weighed up against risk of flares, Pedro Machado, COVID-19 #EULAR2023 @RheumNow https://t.co/3sd32tF2kW
Dr. Antoni Chan @synovialjoints ( View Tweet )
1 year 5 months ago
Lit review of 2236 articles found only 28 w/ Post-COVID autoimmune Dx (64% F; age 51 yrs) - that included 11 (39) IIM (w/ 4 DM); 7 (25%) SLE; 4 (14%) anti-synthetase syndrome; 4 (14%) SSc; 1 lupus/MCTD overlap. Mean onset 23.7 d post COVID https://t.co/jtRaqIBGH1 https://t.co/WilcRFNAL9
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet )
1 year 6 months ago
×