Özet:

Objective: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are polygenic disorders. Patients with IBD, especially ulcerative colitis (UC), are more vulnerable to infections because of medications. Key COVID-19-related factors/risks have not been well-researched in IBD patients. In this study, we compared IBD patients with control patients who presented to our clinic with COVID-19 infection suspicion regarding COVID-19 PCR test positivity, COVID-19 pneumonia, hospitalization, and need for treatment at the intensive care unit (ICU). Material and Methods: Thiscohort study included 480 IBD patients as cases and 9,269 age- and gender-matched control patients who came to our hospital for complaints/checkups and were tested for COVID-19 PCR. Results: Covid-19 positivity was higher in IBD patients than in controls. COVID-19 pneumonia rates were higher in IBD compared to the pneumonia rate of Turkey — mainly due to the high prevalence of COVID-19 pneumonia in UC as none of the Crohn’s disease (CD) patients experienced COVID-19 pneumonia. Hospitalization was significantly higher in UC than in CD and higher in IBD than in controls. Hospitalization at ICU was significantly higher in UC than in the controls. There were no IBD patients who died because of COVID-19 infection. Conclusion: IBD patients have a significantly higher rate of COVID-19 PCR positivity, COVID-19 pneumonia, hospitalization, and the need for ICU than the controls; however, mortality is comparable.

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