Background
Data about the SARS-CoV-2 infection in inflammatory bowel disease patients (IBD) are scarce. Our aim was to analyse the incidence, clinical presentation, and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection in IBD patients in the second and the third wave of infection.
Methods
Cross-sectional, observational study in IBD patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection by RCP and/or antigen tests from 01 July 2020 to 01 March 2021. All data were collected by telephone interview and reviewing the electronical medical records.
Results
Fifty-one of 805 IBD patients followed in our Unit were diagnosed of SARS-CoV-2 infection in this period (6.3%; 95% CI 4.6–8.0). Mean age: 45±13 years old; 56.9% female, 23.5% smokers, 56.9% Crohn’s disease, 29.4% comorbidities and 17.6% asymptomatic. Digestive symptoms were reported in 22 patients (43.1%), with diarrhoea as the most common (39.2%, median duration: 4 days; IQR 1–7). The most frequent symptoms other than diarrhoea were low-grade fever/fever in 43.1% (median duration: 3 days; IQR 1–6.5) and dysosmia/dysgeusia in 39.2% (median duration: 15 days; IQR 7–30). Only one patient (2%) was diagnosed with IBD flare-up during infection. Six patients (11.8%) temporarily withdrew their IBD treatment because of COVID-19. Most of the patients had a mild disease (88.2%), no patient had to be admitted in the intensive care unit. Only one patient died (2%) due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and multiple previous comorbidities, 52 years old male with ulcerative colitis in treatment with Mesalazine and dendritic cell sarcoma, common variable inmunodefiency, and primary sclerosing cholangitis progressing to cirrhosis. In the multivariate analysis, the presence of dyspnoea was associated with more severe infection (p=0.007; OR:25.7; 95% CI 2.4–277.8). Patients on immunomodulators and/or biological therapy did not have more severe disease compared to non-immunosuppressed patients (p>0.05).
Conclusion
SARS-CoV-2 infection was relatively frequent is our series. Dyspnoea was associated with a more severe infection. Severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection was not related to immunosuppression or development of IBD flare-ups and only a small percentage of patients needed to modify IBD medication during infection
Background
Our aims were: 1.) to compare the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection in IBD patients in the second and third wave with respect to the results published in our site in the first wave (I. Guerra et al. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2021 Jan 1;27(1):25–33) and 2.) to compare the date of the second and third wave with data of general population from the Autonomous Community of Madrid
Methods
Cohort, observational study in IBD patients followed in our IBD Unit with SARS-CoV-2 infection between March 2020 and May 2020 (first wave) and between July 2020 to March 2021 (second-third wave). All data were collected by telephone interview and reviewing the electronical medical records
Results
The demographic characteristics of the patients included are shown in Table 1.
Regarding clinical features of SARS-CoV-2 infection in both group of patients are represented in Table 2.
The severity of disease was not related to immunomodulators and/or biological treatments in both cohorts.
The number of COVID-19 cases by date in our IBD Unit in comparison with the cases in the Community of Madrid are shown in the Figure 1.
Conclusion
The patients diagnosed in the first wave were older and more symptomatic. Although the number of severe cases was higher in the first wave, influenced by the limited availability of tests in that period, no difference was found in mortality or in the percentage of ICU admissions.Severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection was not related to immunosuppression and in the second-third wave the IBD treatment was maintained more frequently.The distribution of cases in our series was in concordance with the data obtained in the general population.
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