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In this study we aimed to assess whether individuals with ASD are prone to higher infection rates, or to severe COVID-19 illness. Individuals with ASD and age- and gender-matched controlled counterparts (total n = 32,812) were assessed for COVID-19 infection rates and hospitalizations. Results indicated higher infection rates among individuals with ASD, with the largest effect among individuals aged 40-60 (OR = 2.05, 95%CI 1.33-3.15, p < 0.001), as well as higher odds for hospitalizations, evident primarily in men (OR = 2.40, 95%CI 1.14-5.02, p = 0.02) but not women. Medical and environmental risk factors may associate ASD with higher infection and morbidity rates. Healthcare policy providers should consider proactive steps to protect this population from the associated risks.

Objective Individuals with schizophrenia may be at an increased risk for COVID-19 morbidity due to the disease characteristics. In this study, we aimed to explore the odds of significant COVID-19 morbidity and mortality among schizophrenia patients while controlling for potential sociodemographic and medical confounders. Methods Schizophrenia patients and age-and-sex matched controls (total n = 51 078) were assessed for frequency of COVID-19 positivity, hospitalizations, and mortality. The odds for COVID-19-associated hospitalization and mortality were calculated using logistic regression models, while controlling for age, sex, marital status, sector, socioeconomic status, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, smoking, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Results Individuals with schizophrenia were less likely to test positive for COVID-19; however, they were twice as likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 (OR 2.15 95% CI 1.63–2.82, P <.0001), even after controlling for sociodemographic and clinical risk factors (OR 1.88 95% CI 1.39–2.55, P <.0001). Furthermore, they were 3 times more likely to experience COVID-19 mortality (OR 3.27 95% CI 1.39–7.68, P <.0001), compared to controls. Conclusions We found evidence of associations between schizophrenia and increased COVID-19 morbidity and mortality compared to controls regardless of sociodemographic and medical factors. As these patients present with a combination of potential risk factors for mortality, efforts should be made to minimize the effects of the pandemic on this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Persistence in drug therapy reflects treatment effectiveness and tolerability. We aim to estimate the persistence of apremilast prescribed to patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and to identify characteristics associated with treatment discontinuation in a real-world setting., Methods: Patients with PsA treated with apremilast from January 2016 were identified from a large health database and followed until medication stop date (using 3-months grace period), death or the end of observation period (June 2021). Demographic data, Charlson comorbidity index and concomitant and previous use of conventional and biologic DMARDs were extracted. The reasons for drug discontinuation were manually retrieved from patient charts. Time to discontinuation was estimated using survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier functions., Results: Overall, 568 PsA patients treated with apremilast were identified. The mean age was 55.3±14.0 years, of whom 332 (58.5%) were females, 38.4% were obese (BMI>30), 75.2% had a Charlson comorbidity index>1, 24.1% were on concomitant treatment with methotrexate and 72.4% were biologic naïve. The median persistent period was 6.1,95% CI (5.2-6.9) months in which only 16.9% remained persistent on apremilast. No difference was found with regard to age, sex, socioeconomic status, ethnicity and obesity between patients who were persistent compared to patients who discontinued apremilast. Concomitant treatment with methotrexate and prior history of biologic therapy did not affect drug persistency (log rank P=0.957 and 0.082, respectively). Causes for treatment discontinuation were due to lack of skin efficacy in 19.4%, lack of joint efficacy in 33.3%, combined skin and joint inefficacy at 2.3% and due to side effects in 24.1%., Conclusion: In this large observational retrospective cohort of patients treated with apremilast, a relatively low drug persistence was observed with 6-month and 1-year survival rates of 50.3% and 31.3%, respectively. Treatment discontinuation was mainly due to joint inefficacy, advocating for more studies for proper patient selection to assure treatment effectiveness and persistency., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2023 Haddad et al.)

Excessive use of the emergency department (ED) is associated with increased costs and workload in the ED, patients' inconvenience and disruption of the continuity of care. The study's goal was to describe trends in ED utilization among Bedouins living in southern Israel. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in primary care clinics in southern Israel. Patients included Bedouin and Jewish patients insured by Clalit Health Services. Data was retrieved from a central database. The number of visits to the ED and age-adjusted rates of ED visits during 2000-2003 were determined in the Bedouin vs. Jewish population. All visits that ended in hospitalization were excluded. Data was stratified according to patients' residence (semi-nomadic vs. urban Bedouins) and referral origin. Age-adjusted rates of ED visits decreased from 42.9/1000 patients/month in 2000 to 38.3/1000 patients/month in 2003. There were more ED visits in the Bedouin as compared to Jewish population (38.3/1000 vs. 21.8/1000 patients/month). The decrease in ED utilization was more prominent among adult semi-nomadic Bedouins (from 60.8/1000 to 40.3/1000 patients/month). The proportion of referrals by the family physician to ED significantly decreased (among urban Bedouins: from 54.3% to 43.2%, p<0.001; among semi-nomadic Bedouins: from 53.9% to 39.9%, p<0.001), while the proportion of self-referrals and referrals from physicians other than the family physician increased. A decrease in ED utilization by the Bedouin population during the last years was demonstrated. Utilization of ED services is still increased as compared to the non-Bedouin population. Interventions to control excessive use of ED services in the Bedouin population are currently underway.