Incidence, characteristics, and risk factors of new liver disorders 3.5 years post COVID-19 pandemic in the Montefiore Health System in Bronx.

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of newly diagnosed liver disorders (LD) up to 3.5-year post-acute COVID-19, and risk factors associated with new LD. METHODS: We analyzed 54,699 COVID-19 patients and 1,409,547 non-COVID-19 controls from March-11-2020 to Jan-03-2023. New liver disorders included abnormal liver function tests, advanced liver failure, alcohol and non-alcohol related liver disorders, and cirrhosis. Comparisons were made with ambulatory non-COVID-19 patients and patients hospitalized for other lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). Demographics, comorbidities, laboratory data, incomes, insurance status, and unmet social needs were tabulated. The primary outcome was new LD at least two weeks following COVID-19 positive test. RESULTS: Incidence of new LD was not significantly different between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 cohorts (incidence:1.99% vs 1.90% p>0.05, OR = 1.04[95%CI: 0.92,1.17], p = 0.53). COVID-19 patients with new LD were older, more likely to be Hispanic and had higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and obesity compared to patients without new LD. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients had no elevated risk of LD compared to hospitalized LRTI patients (2.90% vs 2.07%, p>0.05, OR = 1.29[0.98,1.69], p = 0.06). Among COVID-19 patients, those who developed LD had fewer patients with higher incomes (14.18% vs 18.35%, p<0.05) and more with lower incomes (21.72% vs 17.23%, p<0.01), more Medicare and less Medicaid insurance, and more patients with >3 unmet social needs (6.49% vs 2.98%, p<0.001) and fewer with no unmet social needs (76.19% vs 80.42%, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Older age, Hispanic ethnicity, and obesity, but not COVID-19 status, posed increased risk for developing new LD. Lower socioeconomic status was associated with higher incidence of new LD.

SARS-CoV-2 infection increases long-term multiple sclerosis disease activity and all-cause mortality in an underserved inner-city population.

BACKGROUND: Although certain subsets patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), an immune-mediated disorder, are at higher risk of worse acute COVID-19 outcomes compared to the general population, it is not clear whether SARS-CoV-2 infection impacts long-term outcomes compared with MS patients without COVID-19 infection. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated MS disease activity and mortality 3.5 years post SARS-CoV-2 infection and compared with MS patients without COVID-19. METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated 1,633 patients with MS in the Montefiore Health System in the Bronx from January 2016 to July 2023. This health system serves a large minority population and was an epicenter for the early pandemic and subsequent surges of infection. Positive SARS-CoV-2 infection was determined by a positive polymerase-chain-reaction test. Primary outcomes were all-cause mortality, and optic neuritis post SARS-CoV-2 infection. Secondary outcomes included change in disease-modifying therapy (DMT), treatment with high-dose methylprednisolone, cerebellar deficits, relapse, and all-cause hospitalization post-infection. RESULTS: MS patients with COVID-19 had similar demographics but higher prevalence of pre-existing major comorbidities (hypertension, type-2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and coronary artery disease), optic neuritis, and history of high dose steroid treatment for relapses compared to MS patients without COVID-19. MS patients with COVID-19 had greater risk of mortality (adjusted HR=4.34[1.67, 11.30], p < 0.005), greater risk of post infection optic neuritis (adjusted HR=2.97[1.58, 5.58], p < 0.005), higher incidence of methylprednisolone treatment for post infection acute relapse (12.65% vs. 2.54 %, p < 0.001), and more hospitalization (78.92% vs. 66.81 %, p < 0.01), compared to MS patients without COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: MS patients who survived COVID-19 infection experienced worse long-term outcomes, as measured by treatment for relapse, hospitalization and mortality. Identifying risk factors for worse long-term outcomes may draw clinical attention to the need for careful follow-up of at-risk individuals post-SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Hospitalization, Critical Illness, and Mortality Outcomes of COVID-19 in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical outcomes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with COVID-19. METHODS: This retrospective study consisted of 361 patients with RA+ and 45,954 patients with RA- (March 2020 to August 2022) who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase-chain-reaction in the Montefiore Health System, which serves a large low-income, minority-predominant population in the Bronx and was an epicenter of the initial pandemic and subsequent surges. Primary outcomes were hospitalization, critical illness, and all-cause mortality associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Comparisons were made with and without adjustment for covariates, as well as with 1083 matched controls of patients with RA- and COVID-19. RESULTS: Patients with RA+ and COVID-19 were older (62.2 ± 23.5 vs. 45.5 ± 26.3; P < 0.001), were more likely females (83.1% vs. 55.8%; P < 0.001), were Black (35.5% vs. 30.3%; P < 0.05), and had higher rates of comorbidities (P < 0.05), hospitalization (52.4% vs. 32.5%; P < 0.005), critical illness (10.5% vs. 6.9%; P < 0.05), and mortality (11.1% vs. 6.2%; P < 0.01) compared with patients with RA- and COVID-19. Patients with RA+ with COVID-19 had higher odds of critical illness (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-1.93; P = 0.008) but no differences in hospitalization (aOR = 1.18 [95% CI: 0.93-1.49]; P = 0.16) and mortality (aOR = 1.34 [95% CI: 0.92-1.89]; P = 0.10) after adjusting for covariates. Odds ratio analysis identified age, hospitalization status, female sex, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and Black race to be significant risk factors for COVID-19-related mortality. Pre-COVID-19 steroid and biologic therapy to treat RA were not significantly associated with worse outcomes (P > 0.05). Outcomes were not different between patients with RA+ and propensity-matched RA- controls (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that risk factors for adverse COVID-19 outcomes were not attributed to RA per se but rather age and preexisting medical conditions of patients with RA.