Table 3

Bivariate comparison of hospitalised versus non-hospitalised patients according to clinical characteristics, type of DMARD, rheumatic disease and COVID-19 symptoms

VariableHospitalised (n=106)Non-hospitalised (n=320)P value
Age (years), median (IQR)61.8 (54.5–73.7)52.2 (42.8–61.1)<0.001
Sex (male), n (%)37 (35)96 (30)0.397
Race, n (%)0.671
 Caucasian94 (89)288 (90)
 Latin American8 (7)25 (8)
Other4 (4)7 (2)
 Tobacco, n (%)0.032
 Current smoker7 (7)44 (14)
 Former smoker34 (32)70 (22)
 Non-smoker65 (61)206 (64)
BMI, mean±SD29.3±6.126.9±5.00.001
 ≥30 obesity, n (%)44 (41)89 (28)0.011
 Overweight/obesity, n (%)81 (76)203 (63)0.017
COVID-19 diagnosis, n (%)0.001
 Confirmed cases87 (82)207 (65)
 Suspected cases19 (18)113 (35)
Symptomatic COVID-19, n (%)106 (100)276 (86)<0.001
COVID-19 symptoms, n (%)
 Fever92 (87)155 (48)<0.001
 Cough82 (77)164 (51)<0.001
 Headache23 (22)85 (27)0.368
 Sore throat9 (8)73 (23)0.001
 Dyspnoea70 (66)51 (16)<0.001
 Arthralgia16 (15)60 (19)0.465
 Myalgia22 (21)74 (23)0.688
 Chest pain26 (25)27 (8)<0.001
 Abdominal pain12 (11)15 (5)0.021
 Diarrhoea26 (24)62 (19)0.270
 Nausea/vomiting20 (19)24 (7)0.002
 Anosmia13 (12)69 (22)0.035
 Ageusia11 (10)58 (18)0.068
 Rhinorrhoea6 (6)35 (11)0.110
 Asthaenia48 (45)91 (28)0.002
COVID-19 outcomes, n (%)<0.001
 Recovered without sequelae75 (71)311 (97)
 Recovered with sequelae13 (12)8 (2.5)
 Death18 (17)1 (0.3)
ICU admission, n (%)21 (20)<0.001
Rheumatic disease0.003
 RA54 (51)100 (31)
 Spondyloarthropathies30 (28)135 (42)
 Systemic lupus erythematosus13 (12)48 (15)
 Other rheumatic diseases9 (9)37 (12)
Disease duration (years), median (IQR)12.9 (6.9–19.8)10.4 (5.3–16.4)0.017
Age (years) at the initiation of biologicals, median (IQR)54.9 (47.2–63.4)47.3 (37.5–54.7)<0.001
Time (years) from diagnosis to the first biological median (IQR)4.1 (1.1–9.3)3.1 (1.0–7.4)0.376
Last available DAS-28 in patient with RA, mean±SD3.6±1.63.1±1.60.073
Treatments
 bDMARD, n (%)<0.001
 TNF inhibitors27 (25)148 (46)
 IL-17-inhibitors5 (5)13 (4)
 IL-1-inhibitor2 (2)
 Anti-B cells10 (9)14 (4)
 Anti-CD209 (8)6 (2)
 Anti-BAFF1 (1)8 (2)
 IL-6 inhibitors4 (4)17 (5)
 Other (T cell activation inhibitor, IL-12/23 inhibitor, RNKL-RANK inhibitor)12 (11)15 (5)
 tsDMARD, n (%)0.783
 Apremilast (inh. PDE4)2 (2)5 (2)
 Baricitinib7 (7)15 (5)
 Tofacitinib5 (5)11 (3)
 csDMARD, n (%)
 Methotrexate28 (26)69 (22)0.349
 Chloroquine10 (9)36 (11)0.719
 Others15 (14)39 (12)0.615
 Glucocorticoids, n (%)58 (55)93 (29)<0.001
 Dose of glucocorticoids (prior to COVID-19), mean±SD6.0±3.46.6±5.20.561
 Dose of glucocorticoids ≥10 mg, n (%)9 (16)13 (14)0.816
 NSAIDs, n (%)26 (25)76 (24)0.896
 ACEI, n (%)15 (14)30 (9)0.201
Comorbidity, n (%)70 (66)105 (33)<0.001
 COPD11 (10)3 (1)<0.001
 Diabetes23 (22)29 (9)0.001
 Hypertension52 (49)84 (26)<0.001
 Neoplasm9 (9)9 (3)0.022
 Chronic liver disease9 (9)10 (3)0.029
 Renal failure7 (7)4 (1)0.007
  • ACEI, ACE inhibitors; bDMARD, biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; BMI, body mass index; COPD, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease; csDMARD, conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; ICU, intensive care unit; IL, interleukin; NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; tsDMARD, targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.