According to a new review from the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, COVID vaccines “may trigger” rheumatic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, including arthritis, vasculitis, lupus, and adult-onset Still’s disease.
According to the study, reported by the Epoch Times, patients developed rheumatic diseases an average of 11 days after vaccination. Seventy-five (over 27%) of these patients experienced complete disease remission, and approximately 50% improve after treatment. Two of the eight patients admitted to intensive care perished from their symptoms.
“The short time span between COVID-19 vaccine administration and the onset of R-IMIDs suggests the potential possibility of a cause-and-effect relationship,” the researchers wrote.
Rheumatic immune-mediated inflammatory disorders (R-IMIDs) are characterized by inflammation manifesting in the joints, tendons, muscles, and bones for unknown reasons.
Rheumatic diseases may be less prevalent than myocarditis, a known side effect of the COVID vaccine. A search of the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) revealed that the COVID-19 vaccine has been linked to over 3,000 cases of myocarditis, over 2,300 cases of arthritis, over 370 cases of systemic lupus erythematosus, the most common form of lupus, and 280 cases of vasculitis. This first-ever systematic review of new-onset R-MIDs following COVID vaccination included the following rheumatic diseases.
The NHS study analyzed 271 participants from 190 published case studies from around the globe.
After their first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, more than 80% of patients developed symptoms, and the majority were treated and improved with corticosteroids.
Approximately 57% of the injured patients received the Pfizer vaccine, 24% received the AstraZeneca vaccine, and 13% of the rheumatic diseases manifested following the administration of the Moderna vaccine.
With 86 adverse events recorded, vasculitis was the most prevalent rheumatic condition examined. Common vasculitis diseases affect the smaller blood vessels, causing skin lesions and possible organ injury. Larger and medium-sized blood vessels can also be affected, causing injury to tissue, muscle, and the kidneys.
The alveoli of a patient with inflammation of the larger blood vessels were filled with fluid. Another patient developed inflammation in his head’s arteries and vision loss in his left eye due to decreased blood flow to his optical nerves.
There were sixty-six instances of diseases that affected the connective tissues. This category includes lupus, an autoimmune disease that affects the skin, joints, and internal organs, as well as myositis and dermatomyositis, which manifest as inflammation of the muscles and tissues.
Two patients perished due to their illnesses. A 44-year-old male developed myositis, or inflammation of the muscles, and compartment syndrome in his limbs. Compartment syndrome is an excruciating and potentially fatal condition characterized by an accumulation of pressure in the muscles. After receiving the Pfizer vaccine, a 62-year-old woman perished of diabetes and dermatomyositis, an inflammation of the skin and muscles.
After receiving the vaccine, fifty-five patients developed arthritis, which manifested predominantly in the knees, elbows, and ankles.
After receiving steroid treatment, the majority of patients experienced some improvement, 12 went into remission, and two had persistent symptoms.
In the report, twenty-two cases of adult-onset Still’s disease were documented. This rare disease is characterized by daily fever, arthritis in more than five joints, and salmon-colored lesions. Six of these patients developed cardiac complications, including two cases of myocarditis and heart failure.
After treatment with steroids, five of the patients went into remission, while the majority experience improvement in their conditions.
Less frequent diseases include polymyalgia rheumatica, which has been reported by 21 persons. This disease is characterized by stiffness and inflammation in the shoulders, neck, and hips, as well as sarcoidosis, which occurs when inflamed tissues begin to develop inside organs, resulting in tissue dysfunction.
