Risks associated with Rituximab and COVID-19
Rituximab can cause fatal infusion reactions with tumor lysis syndrome,
progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, severe mucocutaneous
reactions with high mortality rate. Moreover, in-patients taking
rituximab are at high risk with complications associated with COVID-19.
It makes patients more susceptible to contract COVID-19 with symptoms
like fever, cough, myalgia leading to respiratory failure requiring
endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. It’s quite important
to follow U.S CDC guidelines to protect patients from life threatening
complications of COVID-19 as Rituximab can deplete B-cells which
secretes antibodies in adaptive immunity and functions in humoral
immunity [31-32].