AB0068 LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASES AND SARS-CoV-2 INFECTION: DATA FROM THE SAR-COVID REGISTRY
Authors: C. A. Isnardi, M. A. Alfaro, B. M. Virasoro, G. Gómez, M. E. D´angelo, V. Saurit, I. E. Petkovic, R. Quintana, Y. Tissera, C. Pisoni, G. Berbotto, M. Haye Salinas, S. Ornella, M. Pera, A. A. Reyes, R. Baez, D. A. Pereira, G. Alle, V. V. Castro Coello, P. Alba, A. K. Cogo, C. G. Alonso, C. Gobbi, J. Gallino Yanzi, G. Pons-Estel
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2024)

<h3>Background:</h3> Patients with rheumatic diseases (RD) have a more severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and an unfavorable outcome particularly associated with the disease activity and some of the treatments used. <h3>Objectives:</h3> To describe the SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes in patients with RD and to assess the post-covid syndrome development. <h3>Methods:</h3> Observational study. Patients with RD and confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (RT-PCR and/or positive serologies) from the SAR-COVID registry were included. The data were collected from August 2020 to June 2023. Patients with unknown outcome and/or with discordant dates in which the duration of symptoms could not be established were excluded. Post-COVID syndrome (PCS) was defined as a condition characterized by the persistence of symptoms for more than 4 weeks. <h3>Results:</h3> 2707 patients were included, 81.7% female, with a mean age of 51.4 (SD15.5) years. The most common RD were rheumatoid arthritis (44.2%) and systemic lupus erythematosus (16.4%). Most patients presented symptoms (94%), the most common being fever (60.4%), cough (51.6%) and headache (40.6%). The majority (78.1%) had an outpatient course, while 6.4% had a World Health Organization ordinal scale (WHO-OS) value ≥5 and 4.0% died. After excluding patients who died, 493/2598 (19%) PCS cases were identified. This group was older, with a greater frequency of Caucasian ethnicity and comorbidities. Likewise, symptoms such as fever, headache, cough, dyspnea, chest pain, confusion, arthromyalgia, anosmia and dysgeusia were more prevalent in this group. They were also hospitalized more frequently (35.1% vs 15.3%, p&lt;0.01), the severity of COVID-19 was greater (EO-WHO≥5) (Figure 1) and they presented more complications, including respiratory distress syndrome (9.1 % vs 0.8%, p&lt;0.01) and sepsis (2.4% vs 0.1%, p&lt;0.01) (Figure 2). In the 189 patients with PCS with a 12-month follow-up, the most frequent symptoms were fatigue and dyspnea. In the multivariable analysis, the presence of some symptoms during the acute episode, including dyspnea, anosmia, chest pain, cough, fever (OR 2.96-1.57), and fibromyalgia diagnosis (OR 2.33, 95%CI 1.54, 3.48) were associated with the development of PCS. Follow-up data was collected from 1075 patients, of whom 89 reported at least a second SARS-CoV-2 infection. <h3>Conclusion:</h3> In this cohort of patients with RD and confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, 2 out of 10 patients developed PC, with fatigue and dyspnea being the most common prolonged symptoms. Patients who presented this condition had more severe acute COVID-19. <h3>REFERENCES:</h3> <b>NIL.</b> <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> <b>NIL.</b> <h3>Disclosure of Interests:</h3> Carolina Ayelen Isnardi Pfizer, Elea Phoenix, Abbvie, Maria Agustina Alfaro: None declared, Belén María Virasoro: None declared, Gimena Gómez: None declared, Maria Eugenia D´Angelo: None declared, Verónica Saurit: None declared, Ingrid Eleonora Petkovic: None declared, Rosana Quintana: None declared, Yohana Tissera: None declared, Cecilia Pisoni: None declared, Guillermo Berbotto: None declared, Maria Haye Salinas: None declared, Sofia Ornella: None declared, Mariana Pera: None declared, Alvaro Andres Reyes: None declared, Roberto Baez: None declared, Dora Aida Pereira: None declared, Gelsomina Alle: None declared, Vanessa V. Castro Coello: None declared, Paula Alba: None declared, Adriana Karina Cogo: None declared, Carla G Alonso: None declared, Carla Gobbi: None declared, Josefina Gallino Yanzi: None declared, Guillermo Pons-Estel: None declared.