Internal medicine

Disease

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Infectious disease (medical specialty)

Pandemic

Outbreak

Political science

Virology

Rheumatology

Alliance

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

Rheumatic disease

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

Medicine

The Lancet Rheumatology

Individuals with inflammatory rheumatic disease require special consideration with regard to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Many of these individuals are considered at-risk for serious infections due to their immunocompromised state resulting from their underlying immune conditions and use of targeted immune-modulating therapies such as biologics.1–4 However, some disease-modifying drugs commonly used to treat rheumatic diseases, such as hydroxychloroquine, are being investigated as potential therapies for COVID-19.

Rheumatic disease and COVID-19: initial data from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance provider registries