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Manifestations and impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic in neuroinflammatory diseases

2021; Wiley; Volume: 8; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/acn3.51314

2328-9503

Seth Levin, Shruthi Venkatesh, Katie Nelson, Yi Li, Ines Aguerre, Wen Zhu, Karman Masown, Kathryn Rimmer, Claudiu Diaconu, Kaho Onomichi, Victoria M. Leavitt, Libby L. Levine, Rebecca Strauss‐Farber, Wendy Vargas, Brenda Banwell, Amit Bar‐Or, Joseph R. Berger, Andrew Goodman, Erin E. Longbrake, Jiwon Oh, Bianca Weinstock‐Guttman, Kiran T. Thakur, Keith R. Edwards, Claire Riley, Zongqi Xia, Philip L. De Jager,

COVID-19 and healthcare impacts

Abstract Objective To report initial results of a planned multicenter year‐long prospective study examining the risk and impact of COVID‐19 among persons with neuroinflammatory disorders (NID), particularly multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods In April 2020, we deployed online questionnaires to individuals in their home environment to assess the prevalence and potential risk factors of suspected COVID‐19 in persons with NID (PwNID) and change in their neurological care. Results Our cohort included 1115 participants (630 NID, 98% MS; 485 reference) as of 30 April 2020. 202 (18%) participants, residing in areas with high COVID‐19 case prevalence, met the April 2020 CDC symptom criteria for suspected COVID‐19, but only 4% of all participants received testing given testing shortages. Among all participants, those with suspected COVID‐19 were younger, more racially diverse, and reported more depression and liver disease. PwNID had the same rate of suspected COVID‐19 as the reference group. Early changes in disease management included telemedicine visits in 21% and treatment changes in 9% of PwNID. After adjusting for potential confounders, increasing neurological disability was associated with a greater likelihood of suspected COVID‐19 (OR adj = 1.45, 1.17–1.84). Interpretations Our study of real‐time, patient‐reported experience during the COVID‐19 pandemic complements physician‐reported MS case registries which capture an excess of severe cases. Overall, PwNID seem to have a risk of suspected COVID‐19 similar to the reference population.