Abstract
Background/aims: To investigate the incidence, severity of COVID-19 infection and the outcomes in patients with uveitis treated with biologic agents during COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: In this prospective study, we included all patients with uveitis treated with biologic agents and tested for COVID-19 infection between May 2020 and October 2020.
Results: A total of 59 patients were identified. Behçet’s disease was the most common diagnosis (64.4%). Infliximab was the most frequent biologic agent used (61%). Nine (15.3%) patients were tested positive for COVID-19. None of the patients with positive COVID-19 test developed any COVID-19-related symptoms during follow-up. Of the nine patients with positive COVID-19 test, only two patients had uveitis flare-up after the biologic suspension.
Conclusion: Uveitis patients under biologic therapy can be silent carriers for COVID-19.
Keywords: COVID-19; immunology; infection.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, immunology, infection., 【초록키워드】 therapy, COVID-19 pandemic, Prospective Study, Infection, Diagnosis, outcome, COVID-19 infection, severity of COVID-19, Patient, Follow-up, incidence, disease, biologic, infliximab, Uveitis, positive, positive COVID-19, carrier, tested, the patient, nine, treated, silent, biologic agent, COVID-19-related symptom, 【제목키워드】 Treatment, COVID-19 infection, Patient, biologic,