Background and objective Patients with rheumatic disease taking long-term disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are expected to have a higher risk of infection due to the alterations in cellular immunity associated with these medications. However, the potential risks associated with these drugs remain unclear. This study aimed to estimate the risk of COVID-19 infection in patients with rheumatic disease taking disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Methods Patients with autoimmune rheumatic disease taking DMARDs with or without long-term (> 6 months) HCQ treatment prior to the COVID-19 outbreak were selected consecutively. The diagnosis of COVID-19 was made based on the history of symptoms suggestive of the disease and/or serum IgG positivity. During statistical analysis, the risk of COVID-19 infection was calculated in rheumatic patients taking DMARDs versus controls, as well as in patients taking HCQ versus those who are not. The ORs and 95% CIs were also calculated. The participants in the control group were selected from individuals without RD. Results A total of 800 patients with RD and 449 controls were analyzed. COVID-19 infection was detected in 16.8% of rheumatic patients versus 17.6% of controls (OR 0.95; 95% CI 0.7–1.28). The proportions of COVID-19 infection in HCQ users versus non-users were 15.3% and 18.1%, respectively (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.61–1.26). These results remained unchanged after adjusting for all covariates using logistic regression analysis. Conclusion These findings indicate that rheumatic patients taking DMARDs are not at a higher risk of COVID-19 infection, and that HCQ therapy has no influence on the risk of COVID-19 infection. Key points • The risk of COVID-19 infection is not higher in patients with RD on DMARD therapy. • The prevalence of COVID-19 infection in HCQ users has not significant difference relative to non-users. • Significant percent of RD patients taking DMARDs had asymptomatic infection. • There was a positive association between leflunamide therapy and the risk of COVID-19 infection.

background. Epilepsy is caused by frequent generation of excitatory impulses in different part of the brain and it would affect different aspects of quality of life in these patients.The present study was conducted to evaluate the quality of life and diverse Confounding Factors in epileptic patients. Methods. This Descriptive-analytical study was performed in 2017 with a simple random sampling method on 150 patients with epilepsy who admitted to the neurology department of Rouhani hospital of Babol. We used Patient Weighted Quality Of Life In Epilepsy (QOLIE-31-P) questionnaire. All statistics were carried out using SPSS v21.0 and P<0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. results. Of the 150 participant. The mean overall quality of life score in the patients was 54.07 (11.63%). The quality of life of patients with epilepsy in females (54.19±11.52) was higher than males (53.89±11.88, p=0.979). The overall quality of life score of married patients with epilepsy 54.12 (11.12) was higher than single patients 54. 04 (11.90, p=0.65). In the extent of energy (tiredness), quality of life score decreased significantly with increasing age (p=0.028). In the field of medication effects the quality of life score decreased significantly with increasing level of education (p=0.030). conclusion. The mean overall quality of life score was intermediate which is expected required policies will be adopted to improve the status quo. It is also necessary to consider the marital status and aging in these patients.