Alegiani SS, Crisafulli S, Rossi PG, et al. - This study was carried out to determine whether hydroxychloroquine (HCQ)/chloroquine (CLQ) and other conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (cDMARDs) use and rheumatic diseases per se, may be associated with COVID-19-related risk of hospitalization and mortality. Researchers conducted a case-control study nested within a cohort of cDMARD users in the Lombardy, Veneto, Tuscany, and Lazio regions and Reggio Emilia province. They evaluated the presence of rheumatic diseases vs their absence in a non-nested population. They compared 1,275 cases hospitalized due to COVID-19 with 12 734 controls. In rheumatic patients, HCQ/CLQ use was not correlated with a protective effect against COVID-19-related outcomes. This study’s findings revealed that the use of other cDMARDs was correlated with an increased risk when compared with non-use, and, whether concomitantly used with glucocorticoids, also vs HCQ/CLQ, probably to be ascribed to immunosuppressive action.