Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPsoriatic Arthritis and COVID-19 RiskComplications of Psoriatic Arthritis and COVID-19Psoriatic Arthritis Treatments and COVID-19Frequently Asked QuestionsHow to Stay Safe
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Psoriatic Arthritis and COVID-19 Risk
Complications of Psoriatic Arthritis and COVID-19
Psoriatic Arthritis Treatments and COVID-19
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Stay Safe
People withpsoriatic arthritisare often prescribed immunosuppressive medications to manage their symptoms and reduce inflammation. Because this type of medication weakens your immune system response, people with psoriatic arthritis who take these medications are at increased risk of acquiring infections, possibly including a coronavirus infection COVID-19.
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Commonly prescribed medications for psoriatic arthritis includenonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) and disease-modifying drugs like methotrexate. They can help reduce inflammation and related symptoms. If these medications fail to improve symptoms, biologic medications are recommended next.
Interleukins are also inflammatory cytokine proteins that are often elevated in psoriatic arthritis. Interleukin inhibitors are therefore also used to manage symptoms. Biologics like TNF inhibitors and interleukin inhibitors, however, may increase the risk of infections and lower the body’s ability to fight infections, including COVID-19.
Despite the immune-suppressing quality of biologic medication, there is no direct evidence at this time that suggests taking methotrexate or biologics increases the risk of COVID‐19. It is possible that these drugs may provide a protective factor againstpulmonary fibrosis, a major complication associated with worsened outcomes and death from COVID-19.
Both methotrexate and biologics also have the potential to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease in those with psoriatic arthritis and may therefore be protective against COVID-19 since cardiovascular disease is a major risk factor for COVID-19 infection.
If you have psoriatic arthritis, it is recommended that you continue your medication to prevent worsening of symptoms and progression of your condition. Always consult your healthcare provider before stopping or changing the dosage of your medications.
While evidence is still preliminary and more research is needed, current evidence suggests that patients with psoriatic arthritis treated with immunosuppressive medications are not at increased risk of complications from COVID-19 compared with the general population.
Research supports that people with psoriatic arthritis are not at an increased risk of hospitalization compared with the general population, and that the use of biologics is not associated with worsening symptoms from COVID-19.
Clinical Features of Psoriatic Arthritis
In one study of 18 patients with psoriasis treated with hydroxychloroquine, 50% developed a new onset of psoriasis, 27.8% experienced aggravated symptoms, and 22.2% experienced a relapse of psoriasis after treatment.
Because of its potential in worsening psoriatic arthritis symptoms, hydroxychloroquine is not recommended to prevent or treat COVID-19 in patients with psoriatic arthritis.
For people with psoriatic arthritis who become infected with COVID-19, an antiviral medication like Paxlovid may be prescribed. If hospitalization is required, it is recommended that people with psoriatic arthritis are treated with remdesivir, dexamethasone, and baricitinib.
How can I stay on top of my treatment for psoriatic arthritis during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Telehealth visits are recommended for patients with psoriatic arthritis to maintain communication with their healthcare providers and avoid exposure to COVID-19. Current research suggests that short-term breaks from in-person visits with rheumatologists do not have a major negative impact on the severity or progression of psoriatic arthritis symptoms, and that telehealth visits should be used to supplement in-person care whenever possible.
Should I get a COVID-19 vaccine if I have psoriatic arthritis?
Although patients with rheumatologic conditions like psoriatic arthritis have not been included in widespread clinical trials forthe COVID-19 vaccines, the National Psoriasis Foundation Task Force recommends that people with psoriatic arthritis should get a vaccine todecrease their risk of COVID-19and related complications.
Should I stop taking my medications for psoriatic arthritis to decrease my risk of COVID-19?
For people with psoriatic arthritis who got COVID-19, no significant difference in symptoms has been reported between those who discontinued their medication and individuals who continued with their regular treatment.
To minimize your risk of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises those who may be at increased risk to:
Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear between two and 14 days after exposure, and can include:
A Word From Verywell
While people with psoriatic arthritis taking biologic medications may be at an increased risk of infections, there is no evidence at this time that they are at an increased risk of acquiring COVID-19 or having more severe symptoms if they do become sick. It is recommended that people with psoriatic arthritis continue their medication and stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. Do not stop your medications without consulting your healthcare provider first. Talk to your healthcare provider about your concerns regarding COVID-19 and medications.
The information in this article is current as of the date listed. As new research becomes available, we’ll update this article. For the latest on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wollina U, Fioranelli M, Goldust M, Lotti T.Psoriatic arthritis and COVID-19 pandemic: Consequences in medical treatment?Dermatol Ther.2020;33(5):e13743. doi:10.1111/dth.13743Monti S et al.Clinical course of COVID-19 in a series of patients with chronic arthritis treated with immunosuppressive targeted therapies.Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.2020;79:667-668. doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-217424Haberman R et al.Covid-19 in Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases — Case Series from New York.The New England Journal of Medicine.2020;383:85-8. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2009567Yan D, Kolla AM, Young T, Fried L, Shankar S, Rangel L, Yin L, Castillo R, Steuer A, Svigos K, Izmirly P, Sekar V, Lesser R, Solomon G, Blank RB, Haberman RH, Neimann AL, Scher JU.COVID-19 outcomes in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: A prospective cohort study. JAAD Int. 2022 Sep;8:31-33. doi: 10.1016/j.jdin.2022.03.011. Epub 2022 Mar 28Elmas ÖF, Demirbaş A, Kutlu Ö, Bağcıer F, Metin MS, Özyurt K, Akdeniz N, Atasoy M, Türsen Ü, Lotti T.Psoriasis and COVID-19: A narrative review with treatment considerations.Dermatol Ther.2020 Nov;33(6):e13858. doi:10.1111/dth.13858Gelfand JM, Armstrong AW, Bell S, Anesi GL, Blauvelt A, Calabrese C, Dommasch ED, Feldman SR, Gladman D, Kircik L, Lebwohl M, Lo Re V 3rd, Martin G, Merola JF, Scher JU, Schwartzman S, Treat JR, Van Voorhees AS, Ellebrecht CT, Fenner J, Ocon A, Syed MN, Weinstein EJ, Gondo G, Heydon S, Koons S, Ritchlin CT.National Psoriasis Foundation COVID-19 Task Force guidance for management of psoriatic disease during the pandemic: Version 2-Advances in psoriatic disease management, COVID-19 vaccines, and COVID-19 treatments. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021 May;84(5):1254-1268. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2020.12.058Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to Protect Yourself and Others.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of COVID-19.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wollina U, Fioranelli M, Goldust M, Lotti T.Psoriatic arthritis and COVID-19 pandemic: Consequences in medical treatment?Dermatol Ther.2020;33(5):e13743. doi:10.1111/dth.13743Monti S et al.Clinical course of COVID-19 in a series of patients with chronic arthritis treated with immunosuppressive targeted therapies.Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.2020;79:667-668. doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-217424Haberman R et al.Covid-19 in Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases — Case Series from New York.The New England Journal of Medicine.2020;383:85-8. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2009567Yan D, Kolla AM, Young T, Fried L, Shankar S, Rangel L, Yin L, Castillo R, Steuer A, Svigos K, Izmirly P, Sekar V, Lesser R, Solomon G, Blank RB, Haberman RH, Neimann AL, Scher JU.COVID-19 outcomes in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: A prospective cohort study. JAAD Int. 2022 Sep;8:31-33. doi: 10.1016/j.jdin.2022.03.011. Epub 2022 Mar 28Elmas ÖF, Demirbaş A, Kutlu Ö, Bağcıer F, Metin MS, Özyurt K, Akdeniz N, Atasoy M, Türsen Ü, Lotti T.Psoriasis and COVID-19: A narrative review with treatment considerations.Dermatol Ther.2020 Nov;33(6):e13858. doi:10.1111/dth.13858Gelfand JM, Armstrong AW, Bell S, Anesi GL, Blauvelt A, Calabrese C, Dommasch ED, Feldman SR, Gladman D, Kircik L, Lebwohl M, Lo Re V 3rd, Martin G, Merola JF, Scher JU, Schwartzman S, Treat JR, Van Voorhees AS, Ellebrecht CT, Fenner J, Ocon A, Syed MN, Weinstein EJ, Gondo G, Heydon S, Koons S, Ritchlin CT.National Psoriasis Foundation COVID-19 Task Force guidance for management of psoriatic disease during the pandemic: Version 2-Advances in psoriatic disease management, COVID-19 vaccines, and COVID-19 treatments. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021 May;84(5):1254-1268. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2020.12.058Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to Protect Yourself and Others.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of COVID-19.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Wollina U, Fioranelli M, Goldust M, Lotti T.Psoriatic arthritis and COVID-19 pandemic: Consequences in medical treatment?Dermatol Ther.2020;33(5):e13743. doi:10.1111/dth.13743Monti S et al.Clinical course of COVID-19 in a series of patients with chronic arthritis treated with immunosuppressive targeted therapies.Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.2020;79:667-668. doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-217424Haberman R et al.Covid-19 in Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases — Case Series from New York.The New England Journal of Medicine.2020;383:85-8. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2009567Yan D, Kolla AM, Young T, Fried L, Shankar S, Rangel L, Yin L, Castillo R, Steuer A, Svigos K, Izmirly P, Sekar V, Lesser R, Solomon G, Blank RB, Haberman RH, Neimann AL, Scher JU.COVID-19 outcomes in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: A prospective cohort study. JAAD Int. 2022 Sep;8:31-33. doi: 10.1016/j.jdin.2022.03.011. Epub 2022 Mar 28Elmas ÖF, Demirbaş A, Kutlu Ö, Bağcıer F, Metin MS, Özyurt K, Akdeniz N, Atasoy M, Türsen Ü, Lotti T.Psoriasis and COVID-19: A narrative review with treatment considerations.Dermatol Ther.2020 Nov;33(6):e13858. doi:10.1111/dth.13858Gelfand JM, Armstrong AW, Bell S, Anesi GL, Blauvelt A, Calabrese C, Dommasch ED, Feldman SR, Gladman D, Kircik L, Lebwohl M, Lo Re V 3rd, Martin G, Merola JF, Scher JU, Schwartzman S, Treat JR, Van Voorhees AS, Ellebrecht CT, Fenner J, Ocon A, Syed MN, Weinstein EJ, Gondo G, Heydon S, Koons S, Ritchlin CT.National Psoriasis Foundation COVID-19 Task Force guidance for management of psoriatic disease during the pandemic: Version 2-Advances in psoriatic disease management, COVID-19 vaccines, and COVID-19 treatments. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021 May;84(5):1254-1268. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2020.12.058Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to Protect Yourself and Others.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of COVID-19.
Wollina U, Fioranelli M, Goldust M, Lotti T.Psoriatic arthritis and COVID-19 pandemic: Consequences in medical treatment?Dermatol Ther.2020;33(5):e13743. doi:10.1111/dth.13743
Monti S et al.Clinical course of COVID-19 in a series of patients with chronic arthritis treated with immunosuppressive targeted therapies.Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.2020;79:667-668. doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-217424
Haberman R et al.Covid-19 in Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases — Case Series from New York.The New England Journal of Medicine.2020;383:85-8. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2009567
Yan D, Kolla AM, Young T, Fried L, Shankar S, Rangel L, Yin L, Castillo R, Steuer A, Svigos K, Izmirly P, Sekar V, Lesser R, Solomon G, Blank RB, Haberman RH, Neimann AL, Scher JU.COVID-19 outcomes in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: A prospective cohort study. JAAD Int. 2022 Sep;8:31-33. doi: 10.1016/j.jdin.2022.03.011. Epub 2022 Mar 28
Elmas ÖF, Demirbaş A, Kutlu Ö, Bağcıer F, Metin MS, Özyurt K, Akdeniz N, Atasoy M, Türsen Ü, Lotti T.Psoriasis and COVID-19: A narrative review with treatment considerations.Dermatol Ther.2020 Nov;33(6):e13858. doi:10.1111/dth.13858
Gelfand JM, Armstrong AW, Bell S, Anesi GL, Blauvelt A, Calabrese C, Dommasch ED, Feldman SR, Gladman D, Kircik L, Lebwohl M, Lo Re V 3rd, Martin G, Merola JF, Scher JU, Schwartzman S, Treat JR, Van Voorhees AS, Ellebrecht CT, Fenner J, Ocon A, Syed MN, Weinstein EJ, Gondo G, Heydon S, Koons S, Ritchlin CT.National Psoriasis Foundation COVID-19 Task Force guidance for management of psoriatic disease during the pandemic: Version 2-Advances in psoriatic disease management, COVID-19 vaccines, and COVID-19 treatments. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021 May;84(5):1254-1268. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2020.12.058
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to Protect Yourself and Others.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of COVID-19.
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