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Published IBD-COVID-19 Data from SECURE-IBD & Others

September 30, 2020 7:01 am

When I received an email in EARLY MARCH of this year regarding SECURE-IBD, I thought the researchers were insightful and proactive. Recently, the authors published their early findings: EJ Brenner, RC Ungaro et al. Gastroenterol 2020; 159: 481-491. Full Text PDF: Corticosteroids, But Not TNF Antagonists, Are Associated With Adverse COVID-19 Outcomes in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Results From an International Registry

“Surveillance Epidemiology of Coronavirus Under Research Exclusion for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SECURE-IBD) is a large, international registry created to monitor outcomes of patients with IBD with confirmed COVID-19.”

Key findings:

525 cases from 33 countries were reported (median age 43 years, 53% men)
Risk factors for severe COVID-19 among patients with IBD included increasing age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01–1.02), ≥2 comorbidities (aOR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.1–7.8), systemic corticosteroids (aOR, 6.9; 95% CI, 2.3–20.5), and sulfasalazine or 5-aminosalicylate use (aOR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.3–7.7).
Tumor necrosis factor antagonist treatment was not associated with severe COVID-19 (aOR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.4–2.2)

Other COVID-19 articles from same journal:

WD Redd et al. Gastroenterol 2020; 159: 765-767. Full Text PDF: Prevalence and Characteristics of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Patients With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in the United States: A Multicenter Cohort Study
S Singh, A Khan. Gastroenterol 2020; 159: 768-771. Full Text: Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Among Patients With Preexisting Liver Disease in the United States: A Multicenter Research Network Study
N Forbes, ZL Smith et al. Gastroenterol 2020; 159: 772-774. Full Text PDF: Changes in Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Practices in Response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Results From a North American Survey
G Cholankeril, A Podboy et al. Gastroenterol 2020; 159: 775-777. Full Text: High Prevalence of Concurrent Gastrointestinal Manifestations in Patients With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2: Early Experience From California
J Garbe, S Eisenmann et al. Gastroenterol 2020; 159: 778-780. Full Text: German Endoscopy Unit Preparations for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A Nationwide Survey
I Rodriguez-Lago et al. Gastroenterol 2020; 159: 780-783. Full Text: Characteristics and Prognosis of Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in the Basque Country (Spain)

My take: There is a tremendous amount of information regarding SARS-CoV-2 & COVID-19 with regard to the GI tract and liver disease. For the most part, the data indicate that individuals need to continue to treat their underlying disease and that most therapies do not increase the risk of worsening infection; the biggest risk factors remain increasing age and common comorbidities (eg. obesity, hypertension, and diabetes). The published studies also provide insight and recommendations for preventing SARS-CoV-2 for health care providers.

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