Table 5.
COVID-19 and multiple sclerosis care, lifestyle, and occupation in relation to multiple sclerosis, during the pandemic.
| Participants' gender | Male | Female | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participants' age (years) | ≤55 | % | >55 | % | p | ≤55 | % | >55 | % | p |
| n Participants (% of 274) | 57 | 20.80 | 15 | 5.47 | 174 | 63.50 | 28 | 10.22 | ||
| Experienced difficulties or delays due to COVID-19 (n, %) | ||||||||||
| MS appointment | 19 | 6.93 | 7 | 2.55 | 0.472 | 68 | 24.82 | 13 | 4.74 | 0.695 |
| Access to DMTs | 10 | 3.65 | 1 | 0.36 | 0.367 | 20 | 7.30 | 2 | 0.73 | 0.780 |
| Laboratory tests | 12 | 4.38 | 2 | 0.73 | 0.626 | 33 | 12.04 | 5 | 1.82 | 0.635 |
| MS relapse (n, %) | 4 | 1.46 | 2 | 0.73 | 0.373 | 19 | 6.93 | 2 | 0.73 | 0.127 |
| MS-related symptom exacerbation (n, %) | 11 | 4.01 | 5 | 1.82 | 0.265 | 39 | 14.23 | 9 | 3.28 | 0.438 |
| Fatigue/worsening of pre-existing fatigue (n, %) | 16 | 5.84 | 3 | 1.09 | 0.814 | 58 | 21.17 | 10 | 3.65 | 0.710 |
| Sexual dysfunction (n, %) | 6 | 2.19 | 4 | 1.46 | 0.254 | 31 | 11.31 | 4 | 1.46 | 0.049 |
| Occupational status (n, %) | ||||||||||
| Employer/self-employed | 7 | 2.55 | 1 | 0.36 | 0.926 | 19 | 6.93 | 1 | 0.36 | <0.001 |
| Employee/salary | 29 | 10.58 | 5 | 1.82 | 75 | 27.37 | 3 | 1.09 | ||
| Worker without salary (family business or agricultural) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1.46 | 0 | 0 | ||
| I do not work | 5 | 1.82 | 1 | 0.36 | 29 | 10.58 | 3 | 1.09 | ||
| Retired | 14 | 5.11 | 8 | 2.92 | 26 | 9.49 | 20 | 7.30 | ||
| Other (e.g., steady income, student/household) | 2 | 0.73 | 0 | 0.00 | 20 | 7.30 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| I don't know/I don't answer | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.36 | 1 | 0.36 | ||
| Unemployment status (if applicable) (n, %) | ||||||||||
| Not working due to the effects of MS, with a disability allowance | 12 | 4.38 | 7 | 2.55 | 0.122 | 25 | 9.12 | 9 | 3.28 | <0.001 |
| Not working due to the effects of MS, without a disability allowance | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.36 | 13 | 4.74 | 4 | 1.46 | ||
| Not working temporarily but in search of work | 2 | 0.73 | 0 | 0.00 | 14 | 5.11 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| Other | 3 | 1.09 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | 1.82 | 1 | 0.36 | ||
| I don't know/I don't answer | 3 | 1.09 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | 1.82 | 3 | 1.09 | ||
| Working status (if applicable) (n, %) | ||||||||||
| Full time, about 40 h a week | 32 | 11.68 | 6 | 2.19 | 0.367 | 79 | 28.83 | 4 | 1.46 | 0.002 |
| Part-time, about 20 h a week | 3 | 1.09 | 0 | 0.00 | 7 | 2.55 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| Occasional employment | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 6 | 2.19 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| I do not answer | 1 | 0.36 | 0 | 0.00 | 6 | 2.19 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| Working status affected (if applicable) (n, %) | 27 | 9.85 | 4 | 1.46 | 0.395 | 76 | 27.74 | 1 | 0.36 | 0.001 |
| Closed owned business temporarily | 2 | 0.73 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.98 | 11 | 4.01 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.739 |
| Closed owned business permanently | 1 | 0.36 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| The employing company has temporarily closed its headquarters and I continue to work from home | 6 | 2.19 | 1 | 0.36 | 17 | 6.20 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| The employing company has temporarily closed its headquarters and I am not working | 2 | 0.73 | 0 | 0.00 | 12 | 4.38 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| The employing company did not close its headquarters but I continue to work from home | 9 | 3.28 | 3 | 1.09 | 13 | 4.74 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| Other | 3 | 1.09 | 0 | 0.00 | 8 | 2.92 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| Feeling that they should have stayed home (n, %) | 12 | 4.38 | 1 | 0.36 | 0.224 | 15 | 5.47 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.001 |
COVID-19, coronavirus disease of 2019; MS, Multiple Sclerosis; DMT, Disease-Modifying Treatment. Bold values indicate p < 0.1.