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Clinical science
Implications of COVID-19 infection on patients with uveitis under biologic treatment
  1. Abdulrahman F AlBloushi1,
  2. Abdullah M Alfawaz1,
  3. Ahmed M Abu El Asrar1,2
  1. 1 Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  2. 2 Dr. Nasser Al-Rashid Research Chair in Ophthalmology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  1. Correspondence to Professor Ahmed M Abu El Asrar, Ophthalmology Department, King Saud University College of Medicine, Riyadh 11411, Saudi Arabia; abuelasrar{at}yahoo.com

Abstract

Background/aims To investigate the incidence, severity of COVID-19 infection and the outcomes in patients with uveitis treated with biologic agents during COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods In this prospective study, we included all patients with uveitis treated with biologic agents and tested for COVID-19 infection between May 2020 and October 2020.

Results A total of 59 patients were identified. Behçet’s disease was the most common diagnosis (64.4%). Infliximab was the most frequent biologic agent used (61%). Nine (15.3%) patients were tested positive for COVID-19. None of the patients with positive COVID-19 test developed any COVID-19-related symptoms during follow-up. Of the nine patients with positive COVID-19 test, only two patients had uveitis flare-up after the biologic suspension.

Conclusion Uveitis patients under biologic therapy can be silent carriers for COVID-19.

  • COVID-19
  • immunology
  • infection

Data availability statement

All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information. Data are available upon request.

This article is made freely available for personal use in accordance with BMJ’s website terms and conditions for the duration of the covid-19 pandemic or until otherwise determined by BMJ. You may use, download and print the article for any lawful, non-commercial purpose (including text and data mining) provided that all copyright notices and trade marks are retained.

https://bmj.com/coronavirus/usage

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-318577

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    Data availability statement

    All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information. Data are available upon request.

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    Footnotes

    • AFA and AMA contributed equally.

    • Contributors Concept and design, revision and approval of the final manuscript, analysis and interpretation of data and critical review: all authors. Wrote the manuscript: AFA.

    • Funding This work was supported by King Saud University Medical City through Vice Deanship of Research Chair, Dr. Nasser Al-Rashid Research Chair in Ophthalmology (Abu El-Asrar MA), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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