Increased risk for long COVID associated with autoimmune rheumatic diseases
· Medical Xpressby Elana Gotkine
edited by Robert Egan
Robert Egan
Senior Editor
Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process
Editors' notes
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
fact-checked
reputable news agency
proofread
The GIST Add to Preferred Sources
Patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRD) have an increased risk for long COVID, according to a study published online Oct. 14 in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
Namrata Singh, M.D., from the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Clinical Cohort Collaborative to examine the prevalence of and factors associated with long COVID in patients with AIRD. Patients with AIRD were compared to matched non-AIRD controls using 1:1 nearest-neighbor propensity score matching.
The researchers found that long COVID occurred in 2.8% and 1.5% of patients with AIRD and without AIRD in the matched cohort of 187,106 patients. AIRD was associated with an increased risk for long COVID compared with non-AIRD in a multivariable analysis (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.56). Higher acute COVID-19 severity, pulmonary disease, obesity, and exposure to rituximab or glucocorticoids were associated with an increased risk for long COVID among patients with AIRD. There was an association seen for Sjögren syndrome with a higher risk for long COVID.
"These findings highlight the need for targeted monitoring and further investigation into mechanisms and prevention strategies for long COVID in patients with autoimmune diseases," the authors write.
More information
Namrata Singh et al., Higher risk of Long COVID among patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases and immunomodulatory therapy: a retrospective cohort analysis of national US data., Arthritis & Rheumatology (2026). DOI: 10.1002/art.70361
Key medical concepts
Post-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeSjogren's SyndromeGlucocorticoidsRituximab
Clinical categories
RheumatologyInfectious diseasesCommon illnesses & Prevention Who's behind this story?
Robert Egan
Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing. Well-traveled with unique perspectives on science and language. Full profile →
Copyright © 2026 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Citation: Increased risk for long COVID associated with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (2026, October 20) retrieved 20 October 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-covid-autoimmune-rheumatic-diseases.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.