LAUSR

We thank Singer et al for their correspondence1 about our article related to hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) use, COVID-19 and rheumatology.2 The authors present an interesting analysis using electronic health records from 36 US healthcare organisations, including patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). They found no association of HCQ use versus non-use with COVID-19, influenza/pneumonia/other lower respiratory infections and any outpatient visit, suggesting that baseline use of antimalarials such as HCQ does not prevent COVID-19. These results suggesting no prophylactic benefit for antimalarials complement findings from the physician-based registry of the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance (GRA). Among 80 patients with SLE and COVID-19 in the GRA registry, the rates of hospitalisation and requirement of supplemental oxygen were similar in those who were using antimalarials prior to the onset of COVID-19 and those who were not.3 In the entire registry, which included 600 patients with systemic rheumatic disease (RMD) at that time, antimalarials were not associated with lower odds of hospitalisation after adjustment for …