OVERVIEW:
A North American COVID-19 & MS registry called COViMS was established in response to the new coronavirus in order to understand how people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have COVID-19 fare, and to understand whether there are patient and disease characteristics associated with worse outcomes. This registry is jointly supported by Consortium of MS Centers, National MS Society USA, and MS Society of Canada.
RESEARCH FINDINGS:
The registry containing 1626 cases of North American patients with MS and COVID-19 infection found that those with ambulatory disability, those who are nonambulatory and those requiring assistance to walk, were associated with increased risk of poorer outcomes from COVID-19. Other factors that increase risk of poorer disease outcomes include: older age, male sex, Black race, cardiovascular comorbidities, and corticosteroid use in the past 2 months. The data for this study was reported by North American health care professionals after a minimum of 7 days from initial symptom onset and after sufficient time had passed to observe the disease course and resolution of illness. Data was collected between April 1, 2020 to December 12, 2020 and is ongoing.
IMPACT:
Knowledge of those who may be at greatest risk for poorer outcomes will help people living with MS, their caregivers and clinicians identify those who require more intense monitoring, and emphasizes need for prevention strategies such as COVID-19 vaccination and ongoing adherence to public health safety measures such as wearing a mask and social distancing.
Article entitled, Outcomes and Risk Factors Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a North American Registry of Patients With Multiple Sclerosis published on March 19, 2021 in JAMA Neurology – link here
How COViMS Registry Is Clarifying MS COVID-19 Risks: Amber Salter, MPH, PhD. - Neurology Live - Video (3:15 min): link here