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Lupus patient in ICU hospital with COVID-19

COVID-19 deaths in rheumatic diseases

March 13, 2021

Research Shows More COVID-19 Deaths in Rheumatic Diseases: 10.5% of lupus and rheumatic disease patients died

Much higher rate than infected people without rheumatic disease

People with lupus and rheumatic diseases are at risk…
​What is the bottom line? What …

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Dr. Don Thomas, MD

I am Dr. Donald Thomas, MD, a rheumatologist treating hundreds of lupus patients for over 30 years. Read my first blog post here to understand why I started this website and blog about “The Lupus Encyclopedia” and “The Lupus Secrets”.

Dr. Don Thomas also enjoys educating and empowering doctors, medical students, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and patients.

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Traveling with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presents its unique challenges. Making sure that you stay as healthy and
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  ​A gift for Christmas 2020, since I’m a 90-Day Fiancé fan. Angela wishes me a Merry Christmas and
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Rheumatologists: What if hydroxychloroquine eye tests show retinopathy [FEB 2023 Update]

Do not automatically stop hydroxychloroquine if your eye doctor tells you your patient has HCQ-retinopathy! Read more about
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Treatment of Lupus: Best Practices & Guidelines [May 2025 Update]

The treatment of lupus has improved significantly over the past decade. Most patients can expect to go into
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How to Diagnose Lupus: 10 Symptoms (Feb 25 Update)

Diagnosing lupus is challenging, even for medical professionals. Early diagnosis is crucial for early treatment to reduce inflammation,
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How to collect a urine sample properly for testing (UPDATED January 2025)

    It is essential for lupus patients to regularly collect an accurate clean catch urine sample  
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Did you know that using hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to help lupus patients was discovered by accident? Since that accidental
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Lupus Flare After Flu Shot? Question of the Day Here

Do Flu Shots Cause Lupus Flares? Lupus flare after flu shot? Question of the day: Dr. Thomas, I
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Lupus and The Eyes [DEC 2025 Update]

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10 Reasons Not to Get a Flu Shot: Learn the Truth Now!

10 Reasons Not to Get a Flu Shot: The Flu Shot is a Life-Saver for Lupus Patients, Other
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Anticardiolipin Antibodies and Lupus [Feb 2025 Update]

Anticardiolipin antibodies (ACLA), a type of antiphospholipid antibody, can thicken the blood and potentially cause devastating blood clots
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Lupus and Hepatitis B Vaccine: Endorsed in the CDC guidelines

Lupus and Hepatitis B Addendum: The recommendations for hepatitis B vaccines changed in 2022. The CDC recommended that
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Lupus Eyes

Have you ever wondered how lupus might secretly impact your eyesight? Most people know lupus can attack the
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Lupus, The Reproductive System, and Pregnancy

Lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is a complex autoimmune disease that can affect various organs and systems
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FDA approves Benlysta for lupus nephritis December 2020

Benlysta (belimumab) is the 1st drug ever FDA-approved to treat lupus nephritis ​Historic milestone! ___________________________ NOTE: Johns Hopkins
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COVID Vaccine and Lupus: Join in a Research Study Now

How the COVID Vaccine and Lupus Interact is Important to Figure Out: Consider Joining this NIH Research Study
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Lupus Fog Treatment? Vitamin Improves Memory in Research

Finding an effective lupus fog treatment remains elusive. Yet, a 2023 study called the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin
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How to Have a Successful Pregnancy with Lupus [May 2025 Update)

A successful pregnancy is possible in most women who have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with proper preparation and
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What to Know about a Lupus Nephritis Urine Sample [UPDATED June 2024]

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Fatigue is one of the most common and disabling symptoms affecting individuals living with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
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What is Evusheld and Who Should Get Evusheld: Prevent COVID-19 [OCT 2022 Update]

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VA Disability for Lupus: Navigating Your Claim [Feb 2025 Update]

Startling statistic: A large study showed that Afghanistan and Iraqi veterans suffering from PTSD were twice as likely
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Antibody Levels After COVID Vaccine

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Epstein-Barr Virus Vaccine to Prevent Lupus and Other Diseases?

An Epstein Barr virus (EBV) vaccine to prevent lupus? EBV infection may be a common trigger, causing the
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Types of Rash in Lupus: A Comprehensive Guide [March 2025 Update]

Lupus patients have many more types of rash than the commonly discussed butterfly rash and discoid lupus. After
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Weight Loss & Exercise in Lupus: the science & patient view [March 2025 Update]

Weight loss & exercise provide many benefits to lupus patients. Healthcare providers consider exercise as “free medication” with
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Did you know that energy loss is the most common disabling problem in people living with systemic lupus
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If you have lupus and are considering Botox injections for cosmetic or medical purposes, it’s important to understand
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How to Prevent Lupus & Other Autoimmune Diseases [August 2025]

This blog post will give advice on how to prevent lupus and other autoimmune diseases. I will first
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Close to 90% of people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) will have joint and muscle pain. Fortunately, today’s
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