The MuSC-19 study: The Egyptian cohort

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Infectious Diseases
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological condition.
• The impact of COVID-19 on MS patients, particularly those on disease-modifying drugs (DMDs), requires investigation.
• Understanding COVID-19 severity in MS is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the severity of COVID-19 in Egyptian multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
• To evaluate the impact of disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) on COVID-19 outcomes in this cohort.
• To identify risk factors for severe COVID-19 in MS patients.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 119 Egyptian MS patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 was studied.
• Data were collected from May to September 2020.
• Univariate logistic regression analyzed risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes (hospitalization, ICU admission, death).

Main Results:

• The majority of patients (91%) had favorable COVID-19 outcomes.
• Only 9% experienced severe outcomes, and 3% died.
• Headache was significantly associated with severe COVID-19 (OR=10.85, P=0.001), while DMDs showed no association with severity.

Conclusions:

• Disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) demonstrated an acceptable safety profile in Egyptian MS patients with COVID-19.
• The study highlights a favorable outcome for most MS patients contracting COVID-19.
• Further research is needed to validate headache as a predictor of severe COVID-19 in this population.