METHODS
Study design and
population
This is a multicentre retrospective cohort study aimed (I) to evaluate
the effect of different disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
on the accumulated incidence of COVID-19 symptoms during March 2020 in
patients with IMIDs living in Barcelona (Spain); and (II) to explore the
possibility of new treatments in early stages of COVID-19. Patients with
suspected IMIDs (first visits or confirmed diagnostic in successive
visits), who had been referred from 14 Primary Care Centres to the
outpatient Rheumatology, Dermatology and Gastroenterology services of
Hospital del Mar (referral hospital from Barcelona) from September 2019
to March 2020 were recruited. The exclusion criteria were <18
years old, previous death not related with SARS-CoV-2 infection and
patients tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 or without follow up at the
primary care centre during the studied period. The study was undertaken
according to Good Clinical Practice guidelines and the Declaration of
Helsinki. The research ethics review committee of Parc de Salut Mar
approved the protocol (2020/9246).