Covid-19 Pneumonia In A Large Cohort Of Patients Treated With Biological And Targeted Synthetic Antirheumatic Drugs

We read with interest the article by Monti et al ,1 who evidenced, in a cohort of subjects affected by COVID-19, a low prevalence of patients treated with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (tsDMARDs).\n\nDespite a notable heterogeneity in different countries and even in different regions of the same country, a high lethality is reported among elderly patients with several comorbidities.2 \n\nNational and international registers have been created to collect patients affected by rheumatic diseases, as well as patients with interstitial lung disorders.3 \n\nSince 20 February to 7 April 2020, we collected clinical data of 859 patients affected by different rheumatic diseases and sarcoidosis, treated with stable and full dosage of bDMARDs or tsDMARDs at Siena Rheumatology Unit and Siena Regional Referral Centre for Sarcoidosis.\n\nAll patients underwent a telephone survey in order to establish their clinical status, the appearance of signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and the presence of …