The Outcome of a National MS-COVID Study: What the Turkish MS Cohort Reveals

Abstract

Background: The pandemic of the new type of corona virus infection 2019 [Covid-19] also affect people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS). Currently, the accumulating information on the effects of the infection regarding the & nbsp;& nbsp;demographic and clinical characteristics of the disease, as well as outcomes within different DMTs & cedil; enable us to have better practices on the management of the Covid-19 infection in pwMS. Objective: To investigate the incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and to reveal the relationship between the demographic-clinical and therapeutic features and the outcome of Covid-19 infection in a multi- center national cohort of pwMS.& nbsp; Methods: The Turkish Neurological Society-MS Study Group in association with the Italian MuSC-19 Study Group initiated this study. A web-based electronic Case Report Form (eCRF) of Study-MuSC-19 were used to collect the data. The demographic data and MS histories of the patients were obtained from the file tracking forms of the relevant clinics.& nbsp; Results: 309 MS patients with confirmed Covid-19 infection were included in this study. Two hundred nineteen (219) were females (70.9%). The mean age was 36.9, ranging from 18 to 66, 194 of them (62.8%) were under 40. The clinical phenotype was relapsing-remitting in 277 (89.6%) and progressive in 32 (10.4%). Disease duration ranged from 0.2 years to 31.4 years. The median EDSS was 1.5, ranging from 0 to 8.5. The EDSS score was<= 1 in 134 (43%) of the patients. 91.6% of the patients were on a DMT, Fingolimod was the most frequently used drug (22.0%), followed by Interferon (20.1%). The comorbidity rate is 11.7%. We were not able to detect any significant association of DMTs with Covid-19 severity.& nbsp; Conclusion: The Turkish MS-Covid-19 cohort had confirmed that pwMS are not at risk of having a more severe COVID-19 outcome irrespective of the DMT that they are treated. In addition, due to being a younger population with less comorbidities most had a mild disease further highlight that the only associated risk factors for having a moderate to severe COVID-19 course are similar with the general population such as having comorbid conditions and being older.