Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35567479›Full record

ArticleRheumatology (Oxford, England)2022

Shielding reduced incidence of COVID-19 in patients with inflammatory arthritis but vulnerability is associated with increased mortality.

Roxanne Cooksey, Jonathan Underwood, Sinead Brophy, Mark Atkinson, Jonathan Kennedy, Ernest Choy

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Roxanne CookseyCREATE Centre, Section of Rheumatology, Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff.ORCID 0000-0002-6763-9373
Jonathan UnderwoodCREATE Centre, Section of Rheumatology, Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff.
Sinead BrophySchool of Medicine, Heath Park Campus, Cardiff.
Mark AtkinsonSchool of Medicine, Heath Park Campus, Cardiff.
Jonathan KennedySchool of Medicine, Heath Park Campus, Cardiff.
Ernest ChoyCREATE Centre, Section of Rheumatology, Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff.ORCID 0000-0003-4459-8609

Funding

British Heart FoundationChief Scientist OfficeDepartment of HealthMedical Research Council MC_PC_20030Medical Research Council MC_PC_20058Medical Research Council MC_PC_20059Medical Research Council MR/S004084/1Medical Research Council MR/T023791/1Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesInvestigate whether individuals with inflammatory arthritis (IA), their treatments and shielding status affect the risk of adverse outcomes from COVID-19 for the entire population of Wales, UK.

methodsRetrospective, population-based cohort study using linked, anonymized electronic health data from SAIL Databank, including primary/secondary care, rheumatology, Office for National Statistics Mortality and COVID-19 laboratory data. Individuals aged 18 years and over testing positive for COVID-19 between March 2020 and May 2021 with READ Codes present for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis formed the study cases.

resultsA total of 1966 people with IA and 166 602 without tested positive for COVID-19. The incidence rate was 3.5% (1966/56 914) in IA, vs 6% in the general population (166 602/2 760 442), (difference: 2.5%, 95% CI: 2.4%, 2.7%, P ≤0.001). In an adjusted Cox proportional hazard model, IA was not associated with higher mortality (HR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.18, 1.64, P=0.286). Significant risk factors included shielding (HR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.40, 1.64, P ≤0.001), hospitalization for previous infections (HR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.28, P ≤0.001), hospitalizations one year pre-pandemic (HR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.25, 1.44, P ≤0.001) and glucocorticoid use (HR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.25, P ≤0.001).

conclusionsIndividuals with IA had a lower incidence of COVID-19, probably due to shielding. IA was not associated with increased mortality following COVID-19 infection; being vulnerable (shielded), comorbidities and other factors were associated with increased risk. These key risk factors can identify individuals with IA at greater risk from COVID-19 and advised to shield during high community prevalence.

Indexed as

Arthritis, PsoriaticCOVID-19AdolescentAdultCohort StudiesHumansIncidenceRetrospective StudiesASCOVID-19electronic health recordsinflammatory arthritisPsARA

Identifiers

PMID35567479
PMCPMC9248059

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.