# COVID-19 incidence among Kenyan patients with and without inflammatory rheumatic disease

## TL;DR

This study found no increased risk of COVID-19 among Kenyan patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases compared to those without.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence from Africa on the relationship between inflammatory rheumatic diseases and COVID-19 risk.

## Key findings

- The 2-year COVID-19 incidence rate was 4.5 per 100 person-years in IRD patients and 5.0 in non-IRD patients.
- Inflammatory rheumatic diseases did not increase the hazard of COVID-19 in this Kenyan cohort.

## Abstract

Inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs) have been considered potential risk factors for COVID-19, but evidence from Africa remains limited.

To investigate the association between IRDs and COVID-19 among general patients after hospital discharge in Nairobi, Kenya.

The prospective cohort study was conducted at Mbagathi County Hospital, a major public hospital in Nairobi, Kenya.

Patients were classified as IRD and non-IRD cases based on admission diagnosis. After discharge, 348 IRD and 2951 non-IRD patients were followed up for 2 years or until death. Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for baseline characteristics were executed to predict COVID-19 hazard in patients with versus without IRDs.

The cohort included 46.2% women. IRD patients were older (mean 64 years vs. 62 years; p < 0.001), more frequently alcohol drinkers (17.0% vs. 9.5%; p < 0.001), less often vaccinated against COVID-19 (74.0% vs. 78.0%; p = 0.031) and had higher body mass index (BMI) (mean 26.3 kg/m2 vs. 25.3 kg/m2; p < 0.001). The 2-year COVID-19 incidence rate per 100 person-years was 4.5 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3–7) in IRD patients and 5.0 (95% CI: 4–6) in non-IRD patients. The age- and sex-adjusted hazard of COVID-19 among IRD versus non-IRD patients was 0.9 (95% CI: 0.6–1.4; p = 0.667).

Inflammatory rheumatic diseases did not increase COVID-19 risk in this Kenyan cohort.

This study provides valuable African data on IRDs and COVID-19 risk, reflecting potential regional features in clinical practice and public health strategies.