Biologic agents for rheumatic diseases in the break of COVID-19: friend or foe?

2020-09-03 rheumatology Title + abstract only

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BackgroundThe recent outbreak of COVID-19 has raised concerns in the rheumatology community about the management of immunosuppressive patients diagnosed with inflammatory rheumatic diseases. It is not clear whether the use of biologic agents may suppose a risk or protection against SARS-CoV2 infection however, it has been suggested that severe respiratory forms of COVID-19 occur as result of exacerbated inflammation status and cytokine production. This prompted the use of IL-6 (tocilizumab and s...