Second COVID-19 infection in a patient with granulomatosis with polyangiitis on rituximab.

Observational data suggest there may be an association between rituximab and severe COVID-19 outcomes.1–3 Anti-CD20 therapies impair humoral response, theoretically increasing the risk of prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection and shedding, as well as subsequent reinfection. Here, we report a patient with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) being treated with rituximab who appears to have developed recurrent SARS-CoV-2 infections in the setting of high-risk employment and on recovery ultimately had no detectable SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. This case highlights a potential risk of rituximab in patients with rheumatic disease, which will become especially relevant as rituximab may impair the immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. A woman in her 30s with a history of limited GPA on rituximab developed COVID-19 twice (figure 1). GPA manifestations have included erosive sinusitis, otitis, saddle nose deformity and orbital pseudotumour. She started rituximab in February 2019. The most recent dose of rituximab 1000 mg was given on 28 September 2020. On 14 August, a disease flare was treated with a 3-week prednisone taper, which completed approximately 4 weeks before COVID-19 infection. She works in an assisted living facility with ongoing staff and resident COVID-19 …