Infection News

Virtual learning collaboratives, which are less intensive and relatively low-cost compared with in-person models, can improve treat-to-target implementation for rheumatoid arthritis, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

As many as 27.9% of immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive regimens were changed around the time of COVID-19 vaccination, with patients responsible for most modifications, according to data published in The Lancet Rheumatology.

Suboptimal COVID-19 vaccination rates in the general population and poor vaccine response in the immunocompromised have forced the rheumatology community to look beyond the specialty in trying to protect vulnerable individuals from the virus.

Is this episode clinically relevant? No. Is it important? I think so! The story of Bartonella features a cast of characters, including a medical student who died trying to understand the disease, as well as some scientists with some less than ethical experiments. Enjoy!

The FDA has for the first time approved an emergency use authorization for a long-acting monoclonal antibody cocktail designed to prevent symptomatic COVID-19 among adults and children aged 12 years and older.

Patients with rare autoimmune rheumatic diseases have a 54% increased risk for COVID-19 infection, and more than twice the risk for COVID-19 death, versus the general population, according to data published in Rheumatology.

Adding colchicine to the standard care regimen for COVID-19 fails to decrease disease severity or reduce the risk for death in hospitalized patients, according to a meta-analysis published in RMD Open.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a significant decrease in autoimmunity laboratory testing, first rheumatology visits and diagnoses from 2019 to 2020, according to Italian data published in The Journal of Rheumatology.

Despite a significant decrease in anxiety related to COVID-19, patients with autoimmune rheumatic disease continue to experience frequent interruptions in their medication use, according to survey data presented at ACR Convergence 2021.

Pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis will be critical in managing outpatient COVID-19 infection in patients with immune-mediated conditions, according to speakers at ACR Convergence 2021.