Are there particular concerns related to the use of B-cell depletion therapies such as rituximab for rheumatic disease during the COVID-19 pandemic?  

The attendant depletion of CD20+ B cells associated with treatment with rituximab likely results in impaired development of host immunity to previously unrecognized microbial pathogens. This has, therefore, been of concern in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic due to potential greater adverse outc...