Table 4.
Univariate analysis of demographic, clinical and COVID-19-related variables in regard to hospitalization.
| 1st-3rd outbreak | 4th outbreak | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable* | Hospitalized (n=161) | Not-hospitalized (n=141) | P-value | Hospitalized (n=29) |
Not-hospitalized (n=81) | P-value |
| Covid-19 outbreak | ||||||
| First (March-May 2020) | 21 (87.5) | 3 (12.5) | 0.001 | 29 (26.4) | 81 (73.6) | <0.001 |
| Second (June-October 2020) | 84 (53.2) | 74 (46.8) | ||||
| Third (November 2020-April 2021) | 56 (46.7) | 64 (53.3) | ||||
| Age (years) mean(SD) | 58.3 (14.3) | 48.4(15) | <0.0001 | 60.2 (13.3) | 46.2 (13.3) | <0.001 |
| Female (%) | 112 (69.6) | 102 (72.3) | 0.61 | 23 (79.3) | 57 (70.4) | 0.3 |
| AIIRD diagnosis | 0.002 | 0.001 | ||||
| RA | 55 (34.2) | 45 (31.9) | 15 (51.7) | 14 (17.3) | ||
| SpA (including PsA and AS) | 22 (13.7) | 39 (27.7) | 2 (6.9) | 25 (30.9) | ||
| SLE | 17 (10.6) | 24 (17.0) | 4 (13.7) | 13 (16.0) | ||
| Other CTD (SSc, IIM, MCTD, etc.) | 17 (10.6) | 13 (9.2) | 3 (10.3) | 16 (19.7) | ||
| Vasculitis | 20 (12.4) | 12 (8.5) | 2 (6.9) | 8 (9.9) | ||
| FMF | 15 (9.3) | 4 (2.8) | 2 (6.9) | 0 (0) | ||
| Sarcoidosis | 11 (6.8) | 1 (0.7) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.2) | ||
| Other AIIRD | 4 (2.5) | 3 (2.1) | 1 (3.4) | 4 (4.9) | ||
| Any systemic involvement | 76 (47.2) | 54 (38.3) | 0.128 | 11 (37.9) | 29 (35.8) | 0.9 |
| Lung involvement | 32 (19.9) | 7 (5.0) | <0.0001 | 6 (20.7) | 10 (12.3) | 0.3 |
| Cardiac involvement | 16 (9.9) | 7 (5.0) | 0.1 | 1 (3.4) | 6 (7.4) | 0.9 |
| Renal involvement | 17 (10.6) | 10 (7.1) | 0.322 | 3 (10.3) | 6 (7.4) | 0.7 |
| Vascular involvement | 30 (18.6) | 25 (17.7) | 0.8 | 5 (17.2) | 19 (23.5) | 0.5 |
| AIIRD disease duration (years) median (IQR) (N=295) | 10 (5,16) | 8 (4,12) | 0.075 | 10 (4,20) | 6 (4,13) | 0.2 |
| Chronic rheumatic treatment | ||||||
| Prednisone | 78 (48.4) | 42 (29.8) | 0.001 | 13 (44.8) | 20 (24.7) | 0.034 |
| Prednisone dose (mg) median (IQR) | 5 (5,10) | 5 (5,8.5) | 0.449 | 5 (2,20) | 5 (5,40) | 0.17 |
| csDMARDs | 92 (57.1) | 84 (59.6) | 0.7 | 20 (69.0) | 34 (42.0) | 0.041 |
| MTX | 40 (24.8) | 33 (23.4) | 0.8 | 6 (20.7) | 8 (9.9) | 0.2 |
| MMF/MPA | 7 (4.3) | 15 (10.6) | 0.036 | 2 (6.9) | 7 (8.6) | 0.9 |
| Biologic/targeted synthetic medication | 61 (37.9) | 75 (53.2) | 0.008 | 17 (58.6) | 44 (54.3) | 0.8 |
| Anti-cytokines | 15 (9.3) | 17 (12.1) | 0.4 | 7 (24.1) | 28 (34.6) | 0.2 |
| Rituximab | 13 (8.1) | 11 (7.8) | 0.9 | 4 (13.8) | 12 (14.8) | 0.9 |
| Abatacept | 2 (1.2) | 3 (2.1) | 0.7 | 3 (10.3) | 1 (1.2) | 0.02 |
| JAK i | 12 (7.5) | 2 (1.4) | 0.013 | 3 (10.3) | 1 (1.2) | 0.02 |
| Comorbidities | 119 (73.9) | 75 (53.2) | <0.0001 | 23 (79.3) | 40 (49.4) | 0.011 |
| More than 1 comorbidity | 59 (36.6) | 21 (14.9) | <0.0001 | 12 (41.4) | 15 (18.5) | 0.001 |
| IHD | 9 (5.6) | 2 (1.4) | 0.054 | 2 (6.9) | 2 (2.5) | 0.2 |
| Hypertension | 57 (35.4) | 26 (18.4) | <0.001 | 8 (27.6) | 12 (14.8) | 0.064 |
| Diabetes Mellitus | 44 (27.3) | 12 (8.5) | <0.001 | 4 (13.7) | 10 (12.3) | 0.7 |
| Congestive heart failure | 9 (5.6) | 1 (0.7) | 0.022 | 3 (10.3) | 2 (2.5) | 0.064 |
| Chronic renal failure | 19 (11.8) | 0 (0) | <0.001 | 4 (13.7) | 1 (1.2) | 0.005 |
| Obesity | 35 (21.7) | 28 (19.9) | 0.7 | 7 (24.1) | 11 (13.6) | 0.3 |
| Chronic lung disease (COPD, asthma) | 24 (14.9) | 7 (5.0) | 0.005 | 5 (17.2) | 4 (4.9) | 0.006 |
| Atherosclerosis and AF | 13 (8.1) | 3 (2.1) | 0.021 | 4 (13.7) | 7 (8.6) | 0.5 |
| Smoking (ever) | 6 (3.7) | 7 (5.0) | 0.6 | 3 (10.3) | 5 (6.2) | 0.13 |
| Active disease before COVID-19 | 81 (50.3) | 56 (39.7) | 0.081 | 8 (27.6) | 16 (19.7) | 0.07 |
*Categorical variables are presented as number (%). Normally distributed continuous variables are presented as mean ± SD and skewed continues variables are presented as median (IQR).
COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; AIIRD, autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease; n, number; SD, standard deviation; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; SpA, spondyloarthritis; PsA, psoriatic arthritis; AS, ankylosing spondylitis; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; CTD, connective tissue disease; SSc, systemic sclerosis; IIM, idiopathic inflammatory myopathy; MCTD, mixed connective tissue disease; FMF, familial Mediterranean fever; IQR, interquartile range; csDMARDs, conventional synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs; MTX; methotrexate, MMF, mycophenolate mofetil; MPA, mycophenolic acid; JAKi, Janus-kinase inhibitors; IHD, ischemic heart disease; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; AF, atrial fibrillation.