Single-center experience of patients with interstitial lung diseases during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: Patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILD) can be suspected to be at risk of experiencing a rapid flare-up due to COVID-19. However, no specific data are currently available for these patients.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 401 patients with ILD and determined the proportion of patients hospitalized for proven severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and specific symptoms of COVID-19.

Results: We found that 1% of patients (n = 4) were hospitalized (1 in ICU) for COVID-19. In total, 310 of the 401 patients answered the phone call. Only 33 patients (0.08%) experienced specific symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Conclusion: Our study did not demonstrate any increased occurrence of severe COVID-19 in ILD patients compared to the global population. Based on our findings, we could not make any conclusion on the incidence rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with ILDs, or on the overall outcome of immunocompromised patients affected by COVID-19.