Should coronavirus disease 2019 concern rheumatologists?

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that became a global health emergency. This review focuses on the aspects of COVID-19 pertaining to rheumatology, including signs and symptoms akin to those observed in rheumatic disorders, risk of infection or severe course of the disease in patients with a pre-existing rheumatic disease and those receiving antirheumatic or immunosuppressive medication, as well as potential use of antirheumatic or anticytokine therapeutic strategies that are already applied in rheumatology (among others, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, tocilizumab, and baricitinib) in patients with COVID-19.