id	author	title	date	pages	extension	mime	words	sentences	flesch	summary	cache	txt
cord-332036-op6s8tr4	Feldman, Candace H.	Widening Disparities Among Patients with Rheumatic Diseases in the COVID‐19 Era: An Urgent Call to Action	2020-05-07		.txt	text/plain	1613	85	37	Recent data from multiple public health departments across the U.S. highlighting the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 infections in vulnerable populations serve as an urgent call to action.(1, 2) As rheumatologists, we are acutely aware of the higher morbidity and mortality, and for a number of our diseases, the higher incidence and prevalence among racial/ethnic minorities and individuals of lower socioeconomic status (SES). (7, 8) Among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) where these disparities have been shown to be particularly pronounced, prolonged glucocorticoid use and delayed or lack of standard-of-care immunosuppressive use is common, and hydroxychloroquine, the backbone of SLE therapy to prevent flares and organ damage, is under-prescribed and adherence is suboptimal. (11) In addition, when we conduct observational studies examining the effects of rheumatic disease medications on COVID-19 incidence and severity, we need to recognize differences in the burden of comorbidities, in prior access to care, and in receipt of HCQ and immunosuppressive medications by race/ethnicity and SES that may confound associations.	./cache/cord-332036-op6s8tr4.txt	./txt/cord-332036-op6s8tr4.txt