Background And Aim: Data From The First Wave Of Covid-19 Pan-Demic Suggested That Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Ibd) Are Not At Higher Risk Of Being Infected By Sars-Cov-2 Than The General Population And That, In Case Of Covid-19, Treatment With Immunomodulatory Drugs Is Not Associated With Worse Prognosis, With The Possible Exception Of Systemic Steroids. Evidence From The Second Wave Of Covid-19 Pandemic Is Required To Confirm These Findings. Materials And Methods: This Retrospective Observational Study Included Consecutive Ibd Patients Of The Cohort Of The Sicilian Network For Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Sn-Ibd) With Covid-19 Diagnosed By Pcr-Confirmed Presence Of Sars-Cov-2 Genome In A Nasopharyngeal Swab During The Second Covid-19 Pandemic Wave (15th September 2020–15th January 2020). Data Regarding Demo-Graphics, Ibd Features And Treatments, Comorbidities, And Symptoms Of Covid-19 Were Related To Covid-19 Clinical Outcomes. Results: One Hundred Twenty-Two Patients (Mean Age 43.9±16.7 Years;Males 50.0%;Crohn’S Disease 62.3%;Ulcerative Colitis: 37.7%) Were Included (Estimated Cumulative Incidence: 122/10,000 Ibd Patients=0.0122%). Twelve Patients Developed Covid-19-Related Pneumonia (9.8%), 4 (3.3%) Required Respiratory Assistance (Non-Mechanical Ventilation Or Orotracheal Intubation), And 4 Died (Case Fatality Rate: 3.3%). At Multivariate Analysis, Age (Or 1.034, 95% Ci 1.006-1.147, P=0.03) And Severe Ibd Activity (Or 13.465, 95% Ci 1.104-164.182, P=0.04) Were Independent Predictors Of Covid-19-Related Pneumonia, While Severe Ibd Activity (Or 15.359, 95% Ci 1.320-178.677, P=0.03) Was The Only Independent Predictor Of Severe Covid-19, A Composite End-Point Defined As Need For Respira-Tory Assistance And/Or Death. Concomitant Ibd Treatments Were Not Associated With Covid-19 Clinical Outcomes, Even If A Trend Toward A Protective Role Of Tnf-Inhibitors On Pneumonia Development Was Reported (P=0.08). Conclusions: In This Large Cohort Of Patients With Ibd And Covid-19, Severe Ibd Activity Was The Only Risk Factor For Severe Covid-19, While Ibd Treatments Were Not Associated With Worse Outcomes
PC.01.3 SEVERE ACTIVITY OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE IS A RISK FACTOR FOR SEVERE COVID-19: DATA FROM THE SICILIAN NETWORK FOR INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (SN-IBD)