New study sheds light on COVID-19 outcomes in patients with rare inborn immune disorders

An international consortium led by Isabelle Meyts (KU Leuven) and Stuart Tangye (Garvan Institute) has published its findings on COVID-19 outcomes in individuals with rare inherited immune disorders known as PIDs. Compared to the general population, these patients had similar disease outcomes, but they were more likely to need intensive care and their average age was lower. "We wanted to find out the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection one individuals with rare immune disorders known as primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs). This group of patients is assumed to be at risk of severe COVID-19 disease if infected with SARS-CoV-2. As PID patients are so rare, this study was only possible through a large global research collaboration across 50 centres," says Professor Stuart Tangye, Leader of the Immunity and Inflammation Research Theme at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and senior author of the study. "The findings show that pre-existing immune deficiencies were generally not found to be a significant risk factor as the rate of fatality from COVID-19 was no higher in this group than the general population. Some immune defects even appeared to be protective against the dramatic immune pathology that is frequently seen in severe disease.