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].