COVID-19

Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
Don't Hold the Biologic or JAK with COVID-19 Vaccination A randomized clinical trial in inflammatory arthritis arthritis shows that temporarily holding biologic or Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor therapy at the time of COVID-19 vaccination is not warranted. https://t.co/moQIE09lvi
Article

Don’t Hold the JAK (10.9.2026)

Jack Cush, MD

On this week's podcast, Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news: Steroids are easy to start and hard to stop; hold the MTX but not the biologic or JAK, weighing in on avacopan, and age-old messages for old-age patients. 

Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
From 1975 -2025, incidence of Kawasaki dz (KD) increased 16.1-fold in Japan, KD cases 15 032 and& 14 809 in 2023 & 2024, but during COVID #s dropped to 10 333 in 2022. KD #s rebounded after the COVID-19: Infants showed minimal changes, but kids 5-9 had the greatest increase https://t.co/j0BL2ZELXn
Mrinalini Dey Tweet
@DrMiniDey
#OP0225 at #EULAR2026: In this nationwide French cohort, patients with IMIDs had nearly 2x risk of HPV-related cancers or severe dysplasia versus matched controls. Risk was particularly increased in SLE, reinforcing the importance of HPV vaccination and screening. @RheumNow
Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
COVID Virus Persistence with DMARD Use Drugs commonly used to treat systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) may prolong SARS-CoV-2 circulation after COVID-19 infection in patients with these conditions, with researchers documenting substantially increased viral antigen https://t.co/szeILIbmjF
Article

COVID Virus Persistence with DMARD Use

MedPage Today

Drugs commonly used to treat systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) may keep the SARS-CoV-2 circulating after COVID-19 infection in patients with these conditions, with researchers documenting substantially increased viral antigen persistence compared with other post-COVID patients.

Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
5 yr Italian study of hospitalized autoimmune pts(2018-23) 4,896 IMID pts compared to 301,126 non-IMIM. IMID had signif higher risk cancer (adj OR 1.32) highest 1st yr. Decreased from 1.83 @ yr 1 to 1.2 @5+ yrs. IMID had more lung & bladder CA, leukemia lymphoma & melanoma https://t.co/UXqDHQtzv0
Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
CDC study of Death certificate data showed that btw 2018–2023, there were 14,936 #SLE deaths (43% w/ SLE as the underlying cause). Mortality rate per million: females 5.97 > males 1.16, blacks 10.7. Causes of death:heart disease (0.93), cancer (0.56), COVID-19 (0.51). https://t.co/qTe6O66wRO
Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
FDA has approved tocilizumab-anoh (Avtozma; Celltrion), a biosimilar to Actemra, for intravenous and subcutaneous use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), giant cell arteritis, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and COVID-19. https://t.co/qw7SJ7ZCK9
Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
SMILE enrollment hampered by COVID - yet failed to show a protective effect for HCQ in preventing SLE. Can you Prevent SLE? Dr. David Karp lecturing at UTSW @drdavidkarp @utswrheum https://t.co/GImHpycbgO
Article

The 2025 Rheumatology Year in Review

Jack Cush, MD

The year 2025 presented numerous advances in rheumatology and related inflammatory and autoimmune disorders ranging from several new groundbreaking FDA approvals/indications, drug developments, game-changing guidelines and practices that will impact patient care for rheumatic diseases.

Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
Scandinavian study of > 13.6 million PYs shows NO increased risk of myositis after SARS-CoV-2 (mRNA & adenoviral vector) vaccines. Data from 101 myositis events in 7,002 398 unvaccinated PYs. Adj IRR 180d risk was 0.84 (0.63–1.11) and 1.31 (0.72–2.36) respectively https://t.co/D5KVyvXaot

Therapeutic Updates

Women Leaders in Rheumatology: Leadership in a Virtual World

Women in Rheumatology
A moderated panel of prominent female rheumatologists will discuss the challenges and successes in clinical practice and research that they encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Recent Blogs

Respiratory Burden of RA

Jeffrey Sparks, MD, MMSc
lung%2Cbright.jpg
Lung complications in RA remain a major issue, termed the “respiratory burden of RA.” Respiratory mortality is one of the leading causes of death for people with RA, particularly those with seropositive RA.
Read Post

Best of 2022: Freeze Tag

Kathryn H. Dao, M.D.
mask,covid,people,risk
A beloved childhood game I enjoyed was Freeze Tag. Players would run to avoid being tagged by the person who was “It”.  If you were tagged, you had to “freeze” in your spot until someone was brave enough to come un-tag you.  The game ends when everyone is frozen or if people quit. For over 2 years, I have been living in a real-life “Freeze Tag” game and able to dodge COVID19, until now. Sitting in my room symptomatic and frozen in isolation, I ruminated about my patients who had COVID19 and their experiences. I wanted to share with you three stories of three variants.
Read Post

A Guide to Self Care of (Mild) COVID19

Kathryn H. Dao, M.D.
morbidity,covid,heart,lung,brain
There is guidance published on how to manage moderate to severe cases, but very few blueprints detail what to do with “mild” infection.  The first day, I developed congestion and cough, with a sore throat.  As the day progressed, I started to have chills, low grade fevers, and myalgias.  The postnasal drainage was overwhelming, and when I tried to swallow, it felt like swallowing broken glass.  Isolating in my room, I was left to deal with my symptoms.
Read Post
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