[The impact of COVID-19 in a cohort of patients with systemic sclerosis].

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 brought with it unknowns related to systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE

To know the clinical evolution and prognosis of COVID-19 in a cohort of patients with systemic sclerosis.

METHODS

During the pandemic, we had digital contact with a cohort of 197 patients with SSc. If they had any condition that met the suspected definition of COVID-19, they underwent polymerase chain reaction testing for SARS-CoV-2; they were treated on an outpatient or hospital basis without interfering with their treatment. They followed their evolution every 24 hours until they became asymptomatic or died.

RESULTS

Thirteen patients (6.6%), nine diffuse cutaneous (dcSSc), and four limited cutaneous (lcSSc) developed COVID-19 during nine months of follow-up. The immunosuppressants used at the time of the disease were: mycophenolate mofetil, methotrexate, and prednisone, in low doses. Seven patients had interstitial lung disease (ILD). The main symptoms were chest pain, cough, dyspnea, dysgeusia, and anosmia, 1 with mild symptoms without pneumonia, 11 with mild pneumonia, and one with severe pneumonia that required hospital management. Only one (7.7%) presented severe pneumonia, was hospitalized, and died.

CONCLUSIONS

COVID-19 disease in patients with SSc can be overcome in most cases, even when they are ILD and were using immunosuppressants at the time of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.