Maria Sepúlveda1, Sara Llufriu1, Eugenia Martínez-Hernández1, Martí Català1, Montse Artola1, Ana Hernando1, Carmen Montejo1, Irene Pulido-Valdeolivas1, Eloy Martínez-Heras1, Mar Guasp1, Elisabeth Solana1, Laura Llansó1, Domingo Escudero1, Marta Aldea1, Clara Prats1, Francesc Graus1, Yolanda Blanco1, Albert Saiz2. 1. From the Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit (M.S., S.L., E. Martínez-Hernández, M. Artola, A.H., C.M., I.P.-V., E. Martínez-Heras, M.G., E.S., L.L., D.E., Y.B., A.S.), Service of Neurology, Hospital Clinic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), and Universitat de Barcelona; Comparative Medicine and Bioimage Centre of Catalonia (CMCiB) (M.C., C.P.), Fundació Institut d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol; Department of Physics (M.C., C.P.), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya; Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology Department (M. Aldea), Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona; Neuroimmunology Program (F.G.), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS); and Institut de Neurociències (A.S.), Universitat de Barcelona, Spain. 2. From the Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit (M.S., S.L., E. Martínez-Hernández, M. Artola, A.H., C.M., I.P.-V., E. Martínez-Heras, M.G., E.S., L.L., D.E., Y.B., A.S.), Service of Neurology, Hospital Clinic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), and Universitat de Barcelona; Comparative Medicine and Bioimage Centre of Catalonia (CMCiB) (M.C., C.P.), Fundació Institut d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol; Department of Physics (M.C., C.P.), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya; Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology Department (M. Aldea), Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona; Neuroimmunology Program (F.G.), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS); and Institut de Neurociències (A.S.), Universitat de Barcelona, Spain. asaiz@clinic.cat.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a single-center cohort of patients with MS and to explore the contribution of their comorbidities and therapies to the outcome. METHODS: A cross-sectional mixed-method study was conducted involving an email-based, self-administered questionnaire sent on May 21, 2020, to 586 patients with MS followed at the MS Unit of Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, along with telephone interview, and review of electronic medical records until June 18, 2020. The cumulative incidence of confirmed COVID-19 (positive PCR or antibody test) and all COVID-19 cases (confirmed and suspected) from the start of the pandemic was compared with the population estimates for Barcelona. RESULTS: A total of 407 patients (69.5%) completed the survey. Most of the responders (67%) were female. The responders had a median age of 48 years (range 19-86), relapsing-remitting disease (84%), at least 1 comorbidity (45%), and were on disease-modifying therapy (DMT; 74.7%). COVID-19 was confirmed in 5 patients (1.2%) and suspected in 46 (11.3%). The cumulative incidence of confirmed COVID-19 cases was similar to that of the general population but was almost 2-fold higher when all cases were considered (p < 0.001). Six patients (11.7%) were hospitalized, of which 5 had good recovery and 1 died. Hospitalized patients were more frequently male, had diabetes and had progressive forms of MS (p < 0.05). DMT was not associated with the risk of infection or the outcome. CONCLUSIONS: In the studied MS cohort, the incidence of COVID-19 was higher than that of the general population; however, most patients did not require hospitalization and had a good outcome despite the frequent presence of comorbidities and treatment with DMT.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a single-center cohort of patients with MS and to explore the contribution of their comorbidities and therapies to the outcome. METHODS: A cross-sectional mixed-method study was conducted involving an email-based, self-administered questionnaire sent on May 21, 2020, to 586 patients with MS followed at the MS Unit of Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, along with telephone interview, and review of electronic medical records until June 18, 2020. The cumulative incidence of confirmed COVID-19 (positive PCR or antibody test) and all COVID-19 cases (confirmed and suspected) from the start of the pandemic was compared with the population estimates for Barcelona. RESULTS: A total of 407 patients (69.5%) completed the survey. Most of the responders (67%) were female. The responders had a median age of 48 years (range 19-86), relapsing-remitting disease (84%), at least 1 comorbidity (45%), and were on disease-modifying therapy (DMT; 74.7%). COVID-19 was confirmed in 5 patients (1.2%) and suspected in 46 (11.3%). The cumulative incidence of confirmed COVID-19 cases was similar to that of the general population but was almost 2-fold higher when all cases were considered (p < 0.001). Six patients (11.7%) were hospitalized, of which 5 had good recovery and 1 died. Hospitalized patients were more frequently male, had diabetes and had progressive forms of MS (p < 0.05). DMT was not associated with the risk of infection or the outcome. CONCLUSIONS: In the studied MS cohort, the incidence of COVID-19 was higher than that of the general population; however, most patients did not require hospitalization and had a good outcome despite the frequent presence of comorbidities and treatment with DMT.
Authors: M Etemadifar; H Nouri; M R Maracy; A Akhavan Sigari; M Salari; Y Blanco; M Sepúlveda; A Zabalza; S Mahdavi; M Baratian; N Sedaghat Journal: Rev Neurol (Paris) Date: 2021-11-04 Impact factor: 2.607
Authors: Elena G Gibson; Melissa Pender; Michael Angerbauer; Craig Cook; Barbara Jones; Adam M Spivak; Emily S Spivak; Sankar Swaminathan Journal: Open Forum Infect Dis Date: 2021-04-08 Impact factor: 3.835
Authors: Ewa Krzystanek; Agata Jurczak; Kinga Kocur; Jakub Jurkiewicz; Aleksandra Kaczmarczyk Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-03-12 Impact factor: 3.390