The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 NewsACR Convergence
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
      • Psoriatic Arthritis
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / ACR Town Hall Provides Update on Oral Antiviral Therapy for COVID-19

ACR Town Hall Provides Update on Oral Antiviral Therapy for COVID-19

January 24, 2022 • By Katie Robinson

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

Editor’s note: The U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s emergency use authorizations are subject to change as circumstances evolve. Check current information on the FDA’s website.

You Might Also Like
  • Join the ACR COVID-19 Clinical Guidance Town Hall: May 6
  • COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy & Safety Discussed at Town Hall
  • Town Hall Provides Tools to Guide Patients Unsure About COVID-19 Vaccination
Also By This Author
  • Risk of Adverse Outcomes Due to COVID-19 May Be Lower with TNF Inhibitor Monotherapy

When oral antiviral drugs for COVID-19 are available, use them early and as aggressively as possible, said Michael S. Saag, MD, professor of medicine at University of Alabama–Birmingham, at a virtual ACR town hall on Jan. 19, 2022. The immune system needs as much help as possible to get the SARS-CoV-2 virus under control in patients on immunosuppressive drugs, he added.

Michael Saag

Dr. Saag

During the town hall, an expert panel discussed risk factors for poor COVID-19 outcomes, as well as the use of oral antiviral therapy for rheumatology patients with COVID-19. They also talked about monoclonal antibody therapy and the best use of vaccines. The panel included Dr. Saag, Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and associate chief of the division of HIV, infectious diseases and global medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and Andrew T. Pavia, MD, adjunct professor of internal medicine, professor of pediatrics and chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

Timing Is Key

When considering which rheumatology patients are prone to poor COVID-19 outcomes, Dr. Saag suggested the natural course of COVID-19 should be considered. He explained that the initial four to seven days after SARS-CoV-2 infection is the viremic phase, when most patients exhibit symptoms and the innate immune response is triggered. The second phase, from days six to 14, is when the adaptive immune response is activated.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Rheumatic patients on immunosuppression have an inhibited adaptive response, setting them up for a prolonged viremic phase. “If glucocorticoids are prescribed in the first phase, viral replication is prolonged,” Dr. Saag said, calling this “a common mistake” that may lead to longer illness.

Andrew Pavia

Dr. Pavia

Emerging data—mainly observational—suggest that immunosuppressive drugs confer different risks for poor COVID-19 outcomes and vaccine responses in immunocompromised patients, Dr. Pavia said. B cell-modifying drugs are associated with the highest risk, and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors appear to have the least impact on COVID-19 outcomes. Hydrocortisone, Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors and mycophenolate fall in between, and azathioprine has shown conflicting results.

Other patient factors also matter, especially age. “For the same amount of immunosuppression, someone who is 75 is at a much higher risk than someone who is 35,” Dr. Pavia said.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Pages: 1 2 3 | Single Page

Filed Under: Conditions Tagged With: COVID-19, immunosuppressive drugs, monoclonal antibody, vaccine

You Might Also Like:
  • Join the ACR COVID-19 Clinical Guidance Town Hall: May 6
  • COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy & Safety Discussed at Town Hall
  • Town Hall Provides Tools to Guide Patients Unsure About COVID-19 Vaccination
  • Therapeutics for COVID-19: An update from ACR Convergence 2021

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use / Cookie Preferences

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2023 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)