Outcomes and Risk Factors Associated with COVID-19 Infection of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

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In this registry-based cross-sectional study, increased disability was independently associated with worse clinical severity including death from COVID-19. Other risk factors for worse outcomes included older age, Black race, cardiovascular comorbidities, and recent treatment with corticosteroids.

Knowledge of these risk factors may improve the treatment of patients with MS and COVID-19 by helping clinicians identify patients requiring more intense monitoring or COVID-19 treatment.

Of 1626 patients, most had laboratory-positive SARS-CoV-2 infection, were female, and had relapsing-remitting MS.

A total of 996 patients were non-Hispanic White, 337 were Black, and 190 were Hispanic/Latinx.

The mean (SD) age was 47.7 years, and 797 (49.5%) had 1 or more comorbidity.

The overall mortality rate was 3.3%.

This analysis used deidentified, cross-sectional data on patients with MS and SARS-CoV-2 infection reported by health care professionals in North American academic and community practices between April 1, 2020, and December 12, 2020, in the COVID-19 Infections in MS Registry.

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