• Richard Conway, Elena Nikiphorou, Christiana A Demetriou, Candice Low, Kelly Leamy, John G Ryan, Ronan Kavanagh, Alexander D Fraser, John J Carey, Paul O'Connell, Rachael M Flood, Ronan H Mullan, David J Kane, Frances Stafford, Philip C Robinson, Jean W Liew, Rebecca Grainger, Geraldine M McCarthy, and COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance.
• Department of Rheumatology, St. James's Hospital, James Street, Dublin 8, Ireland. drrichardconway@gmail.com.
• Ir J Med Sci. 2023 Oct 1; 192 (5): 249525002495-2500.

BackgroundPoor COVID-19 outcomes occur with higher frequency in people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD). Better understanding of the factors involved is crucial to informing patients and clinicians regarding risk mitigation.AimTo describe COVID-19 outcomes for people with RMD in Ireland over the first 2 years of the pandemic.MethodsData entered into the C19-GRA provider registry from Ireland between 24th March 2020 and 31st March 2022 were analysed. Differences in the likelihood of hospitalisation and mortality according to demographic and clinical variables were investigated.ResultsOf 237 cases included, 59.9% were female, 95 (41.3%) were hospitalised, and 22 (9.3%) died. Hospitalisation was more common with increasing age, gout, smoking, long-term glucocorticoid use, comorbidities, and specific comorbidities of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, and cancer. Hospitalisation was less frequent in people with inflammatory arthritis and conventional synthetic or biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug use. Hospitalisation had a U-shaped relationship with disease activity, being more common in both high disease activity and remission. Mortality was more common with increasing age, gout, smoking, long-term glucocorticoid use, comorbidities, and specific comorbidities of cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, and obesity. Inflammatory arthritis was less frequent in those who died.ConclusionHospitalisation or death were more frequently experienced by RMD patients with increasing age, certain comorbidities including potentially modifiable ones, and certain medications and diagnoses amongst other factors. These are important 'indicators' that can help risk-stratify and inform the management of RMD patients.© 2023. The Author(s).

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