Table 5.
Characteristics of participants with and without worsened pre-existing symptoms of multiple sclerosis during COVID-19 infection.
| With worsened pre-existing MS symptoms n = 207 |
Without worsened pre-existing MS symptoms n = 128 a |
p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years, mean (SD) | 51 (11) | 49 (11) | 0.140 |
| Female, n (%) | 166 (80.2) | 93 (72.7) | 0.176 |
| White ethnicity, n (%) | 197 (95.2) | 117 (91.4) | 0.167 |
| Pre-COVID-19 webEDSS score, median (IQR) | 4.5 (3 – 6.5) n = 133 |
4 (2.5 – 6.5) n = 75 |
0.035 |
| MS type, n (%) | |||
| RRMS | 138 (66.7) | 90 (70.3) | 0.648 |
| SPMS | 36 (17.4) | 18 (14.1) | |
| PPMS | 21 (10.1) | 10 (7.8) | |
| Unknown | 12 (5.8) | 10 (7.8) | |
| MS disease duration, years, median (IQR) | 12 (7 – 19) n = 203 |
8 (4 – 15.75) n = 124 |
0.001 |
| DMTs b, n (%) | 101 (48.8) | 61 (47.7) | 0.840 |
| Beta interferons | 9 (8.9) | 9 (14.8) | |
| Glatiramer acetate | 11 (10.9) | 6 (9.8) | |
| Teriflunomide | 3 (3) | 1 (1.6) | |
| Dimethyl fumarate | 36 (35.6) | 14 (23) | |
| Fingolimod | 13 (12.9) | 9 (14.8) | |
| Natalizumab | 13 (12.9) | 8 (13.1) | |
| Ocrelizumab | 6 (5.9) | 5 (8.2) | |
| Cladribine | 3 (3) | 4 (6.6) | |
| Alemtuzumab | 5 (5) | 5 (8.2) | |
| Others c | 2 (1.2) | 0 (0) | |
| Required more help d, n (%) | 70 (39.8) | 8 (6.6) | <0.001 |
DMTs = Disease Modifying Therapies; IQR = Interquartile Range; PPMS = Primary Progressive MS; RRMS = Relapsing Remitting MS; SPMS = Secondary Progressive MS; webEDSS = web-based Expanded Disability Status Scale.
a
Sixty-nine participants did not recall whether their pre-existing MS symptoms had become worse or not during their COVID-19 infection.
b
Percentages of individual DMTs are calculated based on the total number of participants taking DMTs in each group.
c
Participants were taking Ponesimod (n = 1) and Rituximab (n = 1).
d
During their COVID-19 infection than before.