COVID-19 infection and vaccination in patients with multiple sclerosis during COVID pandemic

Background and aims: Patients with multiple sclerosis are treated with immunomodulatory and immunsuppresive treatments. Due to the outbreak of the pandemic, the management and treatment of our patients was a challenge, Objective : to study MS patients with Covid-19 and the first vaccinated patients. Methods: Prospective study. We analyzed the demographic characteristics, symptoms and treatment of Covid-19 infection and MS treatment. Results: 35 MS patients were infected with Covid-19 during the first wave . Average age was 40 years old with a disease duration of 10 years and an average EDSS of 2.5. 28 have a RRMS, three SPMS, two PPMS. 18 were confirmed by PCR ir serology and four by radiologic criteria. Only five patients were hospitalized and one of them died (EMSP, EDSS :8). 30 patients have a mild or very mild infection course. 31 patients were under MS treatment (48% highly active treatment). Three treatments were delayed 10 days and five treatments four weeks. The most frequent symptoms were fever, cough, dyspnea, fatigue. The infection duration were between one and seven weeks. 12 MS patients treated with DMTs received the first shot of mRNA vaccination without severe adverse events. Conclusion: MS patients have a similar evolution of Covid19 infection as healthy subjects. No MS treatment was related with worse outcome. Most of patients had continued the DMTs. It seems that the vaccination is safe for MS patients.