Background: The primary purpose of the current study was to examine whether patients with rheumatologic conditions receiving only chronic hydroxychloroquine therapy for their disease are at less risk of developing SARS-CoV-2 infection than a comparative group of patients without rheumatologic conditions.
Methods: A retrospective, observational, nationwide stratified propensity analysis was conducted comparing patients only on chronic treatment with hydroxychloroquine for their rheumatologic condition to a random sample of patients without rheumatologic conditions and not receiving hydroxychloroquine, utilizing a Veterans Health Administration nationwide clinical administrative database.
Results: The 1-to-1 stratified propensity analysis was undertaken using a random sample of patients without rheumatoid conditions and not receiving hydroxychloroquine (n 33,081) and patients with rheumatoid conditions receiving hydroxychloroquine as the lone medication for their condition (n 6047).
Background: Hydroxychloroquine is one of several agents being evaluated in the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We aimed to examine whether patients with rheumatological conditions receiving chronic hydroxychloroquine therapy are at less risk of developing SARS-CoV-2 infection than those not receiving hydroxychloroquine.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study included de-identified information of all veterans in the US Veterans Health Administration clinical administrative database aged 18 years or older with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or associated rheumatological conditions (based on International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition, diagnostic codes) who were alive on March 1, 2020.