Published In
European Journal of Rheumatology
Volume 9 · Issue 4
Pages: 185-190
History
Published Online: January 31, 2022
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright © 2022 European Journal of Rheumatology
Jonathan S. Hausmann
Program in Rheumatology, Division of
Immunology, Boston Children’s Hospital,
Boston, MA, USA
Emily Sirotich
Department of Health Research Methods,
Evidence, and Impact, McMaster
University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Jinoos Yazdany
Division of Rheumatology, Department
of Medicine, University of California San
Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Jean W. Liew
Section of Rheumatology, Department
of Medicine, Boston University School of
Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
Philip C. Robinson
School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
Wendy Costello
Irish Children’s Arthritis Network (iCAN),
Tipperary, Ireland
Lehana Thabane
Department of Health Research Methods,
Evidence, and Impact, McMaster
University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Mitchell Levine
Department of Health Research Methods,
Evidence, and Impact, McMaster
University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Gary Foster
Department of Health Research Methods,
Evidence, and Impact, McMaster
University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Karen Durrant
Autoinflammatory Alliance, San
Francisco, CA, USA
Rashmi Sinha
Systemic JIA Foundation, Cincinnati, OH,
USA
Maggie J. Larche
Divisions of Rheumatology/Clinical
Immunology and Allergy, Department of
Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton,
ON, Canada
Salman Surangiwala
Queen’s University School of Medicine,
Kingston, ON, Canada
Kevin Kennedy
Department of Health Research Methods,
Evidence, and Impact, McMaster
University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
on behalf of COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance
on behalf of COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance
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Abstract
Objectives: The experiences of children with pediatric rheumatic diseases (PRD) during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic have not been well-documented. We sought to determine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on protective behaviors, healthcare access, medication management, and education among an international cross-sectional parental survey of children with PRDs.
Methods: The COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance Patient Experience Survey was distributed online, and parents of children with parental-reported PRD, with or without COVID-19 infection, were eligible to enroll. Respondents described their child’s demographics, adoptions of protective behaviors, healthcare access, changes to immunosuppression, and disruptions in schooling.
Results: A total of 427 children were included in the analyses. The most common rheumatic disease was juvenile idiopathic arthritis (40.7%), and most children were taking conventional synthetic diseasemodifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) (54.6%) and/or biologic DMARDs (51.8%). A diagnosis of COVID-19 was reported in five children (1.2%), none of whom required hospitalization. Seventeen children (4.0%) had stopped or delayed their drugs due to concern for immunosuppression, most commonly glucocorticoids. Almost all families adopted behaviors to protect their children from COVID-19, including quarantining, reported by 96.0% of participants. In addition, 98.3% of full-time students experienced disruptions in their education, including cancelations of classes and transitions to virtual classrooms.
Conclusion: Despite the low numbers of children with PRDs who developed COVID-19 in this cohort, most experienced significant disruptions in their daily lives, including quarantining and interruptions in their education. The drastic changes to these children’s environments on their future mental and physical health and development remain unknown.
Cite this article as: Hausmann JS, Kennedy K, Surangiwala S, et al. Early impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with pediatric rheumatic diseases. Eur J Rheumatol. 2022;9(4):185-190.
Article Info
Published In
Journal
European Journal of Rheumatology
Volume / Issue
Volume 9 · Issue 4
Pages
185-190
History
Published Online
January 31, 2022
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright
Copyright (c) 2022 European Journal of Rheumatology
Affiliations
Jonathan S. Hausmann
Program in Rheumatology, Division of
Immunology, Boston Children’s Hospital,
Boston, MA, USA
Emily Sirotich
Department of Health Research Methods,
Evidence, and Impact, McMaster
University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Jinoos Yazdany
Division of Rheumatology, Department
of Medicine, University of California San
Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Jean W. Liew
Section of Rheumatology, Department
of Medicine, Boston University School of
Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
Philip C. Robinson
School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
Wendy Costello
Irish Children’s Arthritis Network (iCAN),
Tipperary, Ireland
Lehana Thabane
Department of Health Research Methods,
Evidence, and Impact, McMaster
University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Mitchell Levine
Department of Health Research Methods,
Evidence, and Impact, McMaster
University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Gary Foster
Department of Health Research Methods,
Evidence, and Impact, McMaster
University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Karen Durrant
Autoinflammatory Alliance, San
Francisco, CA, USA
Rashmi Sinha
Systemic JIA Foundation, Cincinnati, OH,
USA
Maggie J. Larche
Divisions of Rheumatology/Clinical
Immunology and Allergy, Department of
Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton,
ON, Canada
Salman Surangiwala
Queen’s University School of Medicine,
Kingston, ON, Canada
Kevin Kennedy
Department of Health Research Methods,
Evidence, and Impact, McMaster
University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
on behalf of COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance
on behalf of COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance
Cite this Article
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