Population-level interest in anti-rheumatic drugs in the COVID-19 era: insights from Google Trends
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Population-level interest in anti-rheumatic drugs in the COVID-19 era: insights from Google Trends Sinan Kardeş 1
&
Ali Suat Kuzu 1
&
Haig Pakhchanian 2
&
Rahul Raiker 3
&
Mine Karagülle 1
Received: 20 September 2020 / Revised: 21 October 2020 / Accepted: 28 October 2020 # International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) 2020
Abstract Introduction/objective The general public may utilize online information through search engines for implications and risks of some anti-rheumatic drugs. These drugs have been used in the management of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and associated inflammatory sequelae or cytokine storm of infection. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the population-level interest in anti-rheumatic drugs during the COVID-19 era, by analyzing changes in Google search frequency data. Method To obtain the relative search volume (RSV) of anti-rheumatic drugs, we queried Google Trends for 78 search terms representing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticoids, antigout agents, conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), immunosuppressants, biologics, and Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors within the USA. Three 8week periods in 2020 (March 15–May 9), (May 10–July 4), and (July 5–August 29) representing the initial- and short-term periods were compared to overlapping periods of the preceding 3 years (2017–2019). Results We found statistically significant increases in RSV for colchicine, hydroxychloroquine, tocilizumab (and its brand nameActemra), and anakinra, and statistically significant decreases among brand names of immunosuppressive agents (i.e., mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, tacrolimus, cyclosporine) during both the initial- and short-term COVID-19 periods as compared to overlapping periods of the preceding 3 years. Conclusion There were significant increases in RSV of colchicine, hydroxychloroquine, tocilizumab, and anakinra during both initial- and short-term COVID-19 periods when compared to overlapping periods of the preceding 3 years reflecting a heightened level of information-seeking on these drugs during the pandemic. Rheumatologists should address this increase in informational demand. Further research assessing medium- and long-term interest in anti-rheumatic drugs is required to increase our knowledge on this new pandemic. Key Points • This study was aimed to investigate the population-level interest in anti-rheumatic drugs in the COVID-19 era, by analyzing changes in Google search frequency data. • Significant increases were seen in relative searches for colchicine, hydroxychloroquine, tocilizumab, and anakinra during both initial and short-term COVID-19 periods when compared to similar periods of 2017–2019 reflecting a heightened level of information-seeking on these drugs during the pandemic. • Rheumatologists should address this increase in informational demand for colchicine, hydroxychloroquine, tocilizumab, and anakinra.
* Sinan Kardeş [email protected]
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