APLAR Covid-19 Updates

After 3 doses of COVID vaccine, only 39% of people with autoimmune disorders develop neutralizing responses to omicron.
interested in details? find the link below
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41584-022-00829-w

Omicron evades immunity from vaccines - Nature Reviews Rheumatology Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the si...

Results from a large retrospective cohort showed that patients with autoimmune disorders have higher COVID-19 related mortality. Biologic therapy had no effect on the risk of death.
Get details at
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(22)00098-4/fulltext

Risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes associated with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and immune-modifying therapies: a nationwide cohort study in the OpenSAFELY platform COVID-19 deaths and hospital admissions were higher in people with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. We saw no increased risk of adverse COVID-19 outcomes in those on most targeted immune-modifying drugs for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases compared with those on standard systemic therapy.

According to the results of a recent trial, colchicine failed to reduce mortality and need for ventilation in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2787585?utm_term=122921&utm_content=buffer6f14b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Colchicine vs Usual Care to Prevent Intubation and Mortality in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 This randomized clinical trial assesses the efficacy of colchicine in preventing mechanical ventilation and mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

OCTAVE trial assessed the efficacy of SARS CoV-2 vaccination in immunocompromised patients. Results show that 11% of these patients dont produce antibody response. Of the remaining 89%; around 60%patients develope response equal to general population.
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/octave-trial-initial-data-on-vaccine-responses-in-patients-with-impaired-immune-systems/28529

News: OCTAVE trial: Initial data on vaccine responses in patients with impaired immune systems | NIHR Initial data from the NIHR-supported OCTAVE trial show that a significant proportion of patients with specific immunocompromised or immunosuppressed conditions, mount a low immune response after two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Are you keen to learn everything about DXA Intepretation? Join our latest free webinar titled "A Focus on DXA Interpretation" organized by the APLAR Young Rheumatologists! The speaker is Prof Swan Sim Yeap, Consultant Rheumatologist, Subang Jaya Medical Centre
Selangor, Malaysia. Date 2nd of October 2021. Click on the link below! Follow our page for more updates! https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ymqDTbUTSZKVc3FEdLeDMg

NOR SOLIDARITY trial (an add on trial of SOLIDARITY), in addition to consolidating the clinical results of solidarity trial; reported that although remdesivir hastened the rate of improvement when used during first 7 days of illness, there is no difference in overall effect of HCQ and remdesivir on viral clearance and inflammatory markers as compared to the standard of care
https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-0653

Evaluation of the Effects of Remdesivir and Hydroxychloroquine on Viral Clearance in COVID-19: A Randomized Trial: Annals of Internal Medicine: Vol 0, No 0 Background: New treatment modalities are urgently needed for patients with COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) Solidarity trial showed no effect of remdesivir or hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) ...

The results of a large randomized controlled trial (SOLIDARITY trial) showed that neither of the drugs among HCQ, remdesivir and interferon affected COVID-19 related mortality or ventilation needs
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa2023184

Repurposed Antiviral Drugs for Covid-19 — Interim WHO Solidarity Trial Results | NEJM Original Article from The New England Journal of Medicine — Repurposed Antiviral Drugs for Covid-19 — Interim WHO Solidarity Trial Results

Canakinumab failed to show significant mortality benefit in severe COVID-19 patients.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2782185

Effect of Canakinumab vs Placebo on Survival Without IMV in Patients Hospitalized With Severe COVID-19 This clinical trial compares the efficacy of canakinumab vs placebo on survival without invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19.

A small scale open label controlled trial showed that Leflunomide is effectively speeds up the viral clearance in patients with refractory COVID-19
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.29.20114223v1

Efficacy and Safety of Leflunomide for Refractory COVID-19: An Open-label Controlled Study OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of leflunomide for the treatment of refractory COVID-19 in adult patients. DESIGN Open-label controlled study SETTING A designated hospital for patients with refractory COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. PARTICIPANTS 27 hospitalized adult patients (≥18 years of...

Is tofacitinib effective for treatment of COVID-19?
A recent randomized placebo controlled trial showed that tofacitinib reduced 28 days mortality or respiratory failure in patients with COVID-19.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2101643?query=TOC&cid=NEJM%20eToc%2C%20June%2017%2C%202021%20DM120227_NEJM_Non_Subscriber&bid=501772654

Tofacitinib in Patients Hospitalized with Covid-19 Pneumonia | NEJM Original Article from The New England Journal of Medicine — Tofacitinib in Patients Hospitalized with Covid-19 Pneumonia

Patients with autoimmune disorders mount less antibody response to COVID-19 vaccination as compared to healthy controls.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8188953/

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Are JAK inhibitors beneficial in COVID-19?
recent meta analysis reviews the role of JAK inhiibitors in COVID-19 infection and reported that they resulted in a significantly low mortality and intensive care admissions. Details at https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-020-05730-z

JAK-inhibitor and type I interferon ability to produce favorable clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis Background The spread of a highly pathogenic, novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged as a once-in-a-century pandemic, having already infected over 63 million people worldwide. Novel therapies are urgently needed. Janus kinase-inhibitors and Type I interferons have emerged as potential antiviral....

Today's AYR Webinar will be on Pulmonary Artery Hypertension in Connective Tissue Disorders. The speakers are Dr. Kevin Kam, Consultant Cardiologist at Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China and Prof Edmund Lau, Clinical Associate Professor/Respiratory Physician at University of Sydney, Australia. The webinar will be moderated by AYR's Dr Himantha Atukorale and Dr Priscilla Wong.
Register using the link below!
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wyR-6sxMQja0L2KonjHVBA

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: AYR 3rd Educational Webinar 2021 - CTD-PAH. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Topics: 1) Echocardiography in Pulmonary Hypertension: Something More Than PAS 2) How to manage CTD-PAH patients?

The 3rd AYR Webinar will be on Pulmonary Artery Hypertension in Connective Tissue Disorders. The speakers are Dr. Kevin Kam, Consultant Cardiologist at Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China and Prof Edmund Lau, Clinical Associate Professor/Respiratory Physician at University of Sydney, Australia.
Date - 1st of May. Register using the link below!
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wyR-6sxMQja0L2KonjHVBA

Register for the Webinar on Pulmonary Artery Hypertension in Connective Tissue Disorders this Saturday the 1st of May.
Follow the link below
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wyR-6sxMQja0L2KonjHVBA

In a small cohort, Geisen et al.compared the response of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 in patients with inflammatory disorders and healthy controls. they reported comparable anti body response in both groups with similar side effect profile.
To read the whole article, click the link below
https://ard.bmj.com/content/early/2021/03/24/annrheumdis-2021-220272

Immunogenicity and safety of anti-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in patients with chronic inflammatory conditions and immunosuppressive therapy in a monocentric cohort Introduction In light of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, protecting vulnerable groups has become a high priority. Persons at risk of severe disease, for example, those receiving immunosuppressive therapies for chronic inflammatory cdiseases (CIDs), are prioritised for vaccination. However, data concerning....

Following article reviews the available and possible options for SARS Co-V 2 vaccination in patients with rheumatic disorders; and discusses possible interactions of different types of vaccines with the immune system
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00296-021-04792-9

SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and autoimmune diseases amidst the COVID-19 crisis Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become challenging even for the most durable healthcare systems. It seems that vaccination, one of the most effective public-health interventions, presents a ray of hope to end the pandemic by achieving herd immunity. In this review, we aimed to cover...

The second AYR webinar titled CT Thorax Reading in CTD-ILD is scheduled for Saturday the 3rd of April. The speaker is Prof Helmut Prosch, Associate Professor of Radiology & Section Chief of Thoracic Imaging atDepartment of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. To register click on the link below https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ok3pKMA6Qo-9OWDHmzTLqw

Does NSAID use increase the risk of SARS CoV-2 related death?
Results of data from 2 lage cohorts published recently had not found any increase in the risk of COVID-19 related mortality in patients of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, using NSAIDs. Find details on
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7823433/

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reminder on today's Webinar titled- How to write a research proposal or protocol. By Prof Lia M. Palileo-Villanueva, MD MSc,
Division of Adult Medicine, Department of Medicine,
University of the Philippines Manila-Philippine General Hospital
Date-Saturday the 6th of March.
Register via below link
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J_l8_GWHSHuebPmJQ00JRA

REMAP-CAP trial has shown promising results of IL-6 inhibitors(Tocilizumab and Sarilumab) in comparison to control group (not receiving any immunomodulator), when given within first 24 hours of starting respiratory or vasopressor supports in critically ill COVID-19 patients. IL-6 inhibitors resulted in a significantly higher support free survival and lower mortality.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2100433

Interleukin-6 Receptor Antagonists in Critically Ill Patients with Covid-19 | NEJM Original Article from The New England Journal of Medicine — Interleukin-6 Receptor Antagonists in Critically Ill Patients with Covid-19

APLAR CME Webinar on - How to write a research proposal or protocol.
On Saturday the 6th of March.
Register via below link
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J_l8_GWHSHuebPmJQ00JRA

Only one more day to go!
The AYR Webinar on -
COVID-19 vaccination in rheumatic patients!
By Assoc. Prof. Li-Yang HSU.
Register now by clicking the link below - https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gLgot2rFSlOx9FS1rNtX6g
A/Prof Li-Yang HSU is currently Vice Dean (Global Health) & Programme Leader (Infectious Diseases) at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. He was formerly Clinical Director of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases and Director of the Singapore Infectious Diseases Initiative, which was established to spur collaborative biomedical and clinical research in infectious diseases. A/Prof Hsu has served in several Ministry of Health committees, in particular, he co-chaired the RIE2020 infectious diseases workgroup, promoting antimicrobial stewardship, better control of antimicrobial resistance, as well as tuberculosis. He continues to work with MOH on a part-time professional scheme. He has also served as a technical advisor on surveillance of antimicrobial resistance to the western pacific regional office of the WHO. Dr Hsu was the founding director of the Centre for Infectious Disease & Research (CIDER) at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health in 2012.

We are very honoured to have Prof Li Yang Hsu, as our AYR webinar speaker on a trendy topic “COVID-19 Vaccination in Rheumatic Patients”.
Please seize this opportunity to learn from our top ID specialist from the Asia Pacific region; and help spread the news to all your rheumatology friends! Any rheumatologist or trainee can join us!
Registration:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gLgot2rFSlOx9FS1rNtX6g
📣2021 AYR Webinar📣
Date: 27 Feb 2021 (Saturday)
Time: 16:00-17:00 (Singapore time)
Topic: COVID-19 Vaccination in Rheumatic Patients
Speaker: Prof Li Yang Hsu (Singapore)
Registration:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gLgot2rFSlOx9FS1rNtX6g
Times of the webinar in different countries/regions:
11:00-12:00
Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria
11:30-12:30
Iran
12:00-13:00
Oman, UAE
13:00-14:00
Pakistan, Takjikistan, Uzbekistan
13:30-14:30
India, Sri Lanka
13:45-14:45
Nepal
14:00-15:00
Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
14:30-13:30
Myanmar
15:00-16:00
Hovd, Jakarta, Thailand, Vietnam
16:00-17:00
China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mongolia, Perth, Singapore, Taiwan, The Philippines, Ulaanbaatar
17:00-18:00
Japan, Korea
17:30-18:30
Darwin
19:00-20:00
Sydney
21:00-22:00
New Zealand

Amarican college of rheumatology issued guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination in patients with rheumatic diseases.
https://www.rheumatology.org/announcements

ACR Announcements: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) View news about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and what the outbreak means for you, your family, and your patients. See regularly updated resources and answers to some frequently asked questions about COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes this disease.

Recently published large cohort study explored the effect of NSAID on COVID-19 related death. NSAID use was not associated with increased mortality in general population as well as rheumatoid arthritis patients.
To read the details, follow the link below
https://ard.bmj.com/content/early/2021/01/20/annrheumdis-2020-219517

Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and risk of death from COVID-19: an OpenSAFELY cohort analysis based on two cohorts Objectives To assess the association between routinely prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and deaths from COVID-19 using OpenSAFELY, a secure analytical platform. Methods We conducted two cohort studies from 1 March to 14 June 2020. Working on behalf of National Health Service...

National Psoriatic foundation has issued guidance about the management of DMARDs in psoriatic disease patients receiving COVID vaccine
https://www.the-dermatologist.com/news/npf-covid-19-task-force-updates-recommendations

NPF COVID-19 Task Force Updates Recommendations Fri, 01/08/2021 - 22:23 The National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) COVID-19 Task Force updated their guidance statements for the optimal management of psoriatic disease during the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest recommendations were published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. The tas...

Meta analysis of cohort studies evaluated the role of Tocillizumab for treatment of patients with severe COVID-19. There were no significant differences between the control and Tocillizumab group in terms of mortality, ICU admission or mechanical ventilation needs.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924857920302867

Tocilizumab for severe COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis This systemic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the efficacy of tocilizumab for the treatment of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Ca…

The 2nd live webinar of APLAR Young Rheumatologists (AYR) is coming! Please register and promote to your AYR members!
Date: 19 Nov 2020 (Thu)
Time: Please refer to poster
Title: Enthesitis - Immunology Update and Clinical Applications
Speaker: Prof Mikkel Ostergaard, Clinical Professor of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen and Consultant in Rheumatology and Chairperson, Copenhagen Centre for Arthritis Research, Rigshospitalet, Denmark.
Moderator: Dr Ghita Harifi
Registration link : https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Cgnca5WMR4elDaGRKzLnQg
Reserve your spot now!!