The number of cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection is rising rapidly globally. Severe disease and high fatality are observed in older patients and those with comorbid conditions1. However, little is known about patients with rheumatic disease in the epidemic areas. Patients with rheumatic diseases are subject to societal lockdown and enforced quarantine, leading to inaccessibility to healthcare. Also, their immunosuppressed state heightens the fear of contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Here we report the outcomes of a cohort of 101 patients with lupus nephritis (LN) including 2 confirmed COVID-19 cases during a surge of the outbreak of COVID-19 from January to February 2020, in Wuhan, China.
We conducted a study by questionnaires and telephone interviews in March 2020. Questionnaires were sent to 160 patients with LN followed up in the Department of Nephrology in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, China. The questionnaire included age, sex, duration of disease, the classification of LN, followup, use of medications, relapse of disease, quarantine, and infection of COVID-19. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University (WDRY2020-K149) and informed consent was obtained from patients.
Reference link- https://www.jrheum.org/content/47/9/1452.2
