Management and associated outcomes of COVID-19 infection among Ghanaian autoimmune rheumatic disease patients

Objective: This study assessed the prevalence of infection, management strategies and associated disease outcomes of COVID-19 among Autoimmune Rheumatic Disease (AIRD) patients in a teaching hospital in Ghana. Design: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study. Setting: Rheumatology Unit, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. Participants: Autoimmune Rheumatic Disease patients. Results: Thirty-one (31) out of approximately 1700 AIRD patients in the unit tested positive for COVID-19, registering a COVID-19 prevalence of 1.82%. The majority, 25(80.6%), were females with a mean ± SD age of 41.7 ± 12.8 years. Systemic lupus erythematosus was the most affected autoimmune rheumatic condition, reporting fever as the commonest COVID-19-related symptom. Most participants, 22(71%), were managed by the “self-isolation”/home management” strategy. In comparison, 7(22.5%) were monitored at the hospital, with both strategies having resulted in complete recovery. The remaining 2(6.5%) patients who managed under “intensive care unit” strategy resulted in mortality. Conclusion: These findings highlight the relatively low frequency of COVID-19 infection among AIRD patients, the encouraging recovery, and the low severe disease rates observed within this cohort. Additionally, the outcome of self-isolation and home management strategies underscore the importance of personalised approaches to COVID-19 management in this population.