The Frequency of COVID-19 Infection in Psoriasis Patients Treated with Immunosuppressive and Immunomodulatory Drugs

Psoriasis patients treated with immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory drugs are at higher risk of infections, also infections can trigger psoriasis. The aim of this study is to investigate the rate of COVID-19 infection with different severity of symptoms in psoriasis patients treated with immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory drugs.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in the summer of 2021 in the Isfahan city. The studied population consisted of psoriasis patients with electronic medical records in Siddiqa Tahereh Medical Center and Al-Zahra Hospital. During phone calls with patients, duration of psoriasis disease, drug used, dose of drug used, history of COVID-19 infection, disease severity (hospitalization, death) and recurrence or exacerbation of psoriasis after COVID-19 infection, were investigated.

38% of psoriasis patients treated with immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory drugs were infected with COVID-19, 75% were outpatients and 23.5% were hospitalized. In psoriatic patients, 39% of whom treated with Methotrexate (MTX), 40% of whom treated with Adalimumab, and 48% of whom treated with Infliximab mentioned a history of COVID-19 disease. In 22% of patients, the recurrence of psoriasis following COVID-19 was observed. The most history of infection with COVID-19 was reported in psoriasis patients treated with Infliximab, Adalimumab, and MTX, respectively.

By suppressing the immune system and reducing its function, immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory drugs can directly increase the chance of contracting COVID-19 and its severity.