Exagen announced a new study in collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. This study will evaluate the incidence and risk factors for onset of rheumatic autoimmune diseases in people who recovered from COVID-19.
As viruses are implicated in the development of autoimmune diseases, there is the need to understand the effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic on the development of rheumatic autoimmune diseases.
Positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed COVID-19 patients from the Brigham will be invited to partake in the year-long evaluation. Patients will be categorized by COVID-19 severity: mild (outpatient), moderate (inpatient, not ICU), and severe (ICU). Patients who elect to participate will be assessed with two validated questionnaires and tested using AVISE® biomarkers to investigate the new onset of rheumatic disease symptoms and autoantibodies in the 3 months to 1 year following onset of COVID-19.
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“True incidence rates and risk factors associated with autoimmune and rheumatic diseases arising after COVID-19 are not known. We are proud to work with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, particularly their strong rheumatic disease epidemiology research team, to examine this further,” said Ron Rocca, President and CEO of Exagen.