COVID-19 and psoriasis: biologic treatment and challenges.

There is concern about susceptibility of psoriatic patients on biologics to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its clinical course. The aims of present review were to determine whether the biologic treatment of psoriasis increases the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and if biologics affect the clinical course of COVID-19 in these patients. We searched database of MEDLINE (PubMed) for key term of psoriasis biologic and COVID-19 until June 9, 2020 and all published 14 papers and an experience from Iran (10509 cases) related to the psoriatic patients on biologics and COVID-19 along with relevant papers were summarized. In spite of limitation in some reports, due to some of strengths that will be discussed, all papers were included in this review. According to 8769 medical reports around 0.3% of psoriatic patients had COVID-19 and the rate of hospitalization was 0.1%. No death due to COVID-19 was reported among 10509 patients. Reports indicated psoriatic patients on biologics were not more susceptible to COVID-19 and the severe clinical course of disease. While there is not definitive controlled trial data, the available evidence suggests that patients with psoriasis without COVID-19 can continue the biologic therapy for psoriasis.