Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity: patients with childhood-onset rheumatic diseases versus healthy children.
Fatih HaslakDoğukan ÖzbeyMehmet YildizAmra AdrovicSezgin ŞahinOya KokerAyten AliyevaVafa GuliyevaGamze YalcinGulmelek InanliBekir Sami KocazeybekOzgur KasapcopurKenan BarutPublished in: Clinical rheumatology (2022)
We revealed that patients with childhood-onset rheumatic diseases, even if they receive immunosuppressive medication such as biologic or conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, might have an asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, similarly to their healthy peers. Key points • Although it has been already known that children are most likely to have asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, there is a lack of data on the disease course of children with rheumatic disease. • There was no significant difference regarding the asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity rates between healthy children and the patients with childhood-onset rheumatic diseases. • Patients with childhood-onset rheumatic diseases, even if they receive immunosuppressive medication, might have asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, similarly to their healthy peers.