Read on for our highlighted selection of Covid-related case series or case reports from the scientific press for September 2022:
Signs and symptoms of Covid-19 in patients with multiple sclerosis
Clinical outcomes of MS patients affected by Covid-19 have been deeply investigated, but a further analysis on main signs and symptoms and their risk factors still need attention. In this setting the objective of this study was to group together based on similarity and describe the most common signs and symptoms of Covid-19 in MS patients and identify all factors associated with their manifestation. Logistic and linear regression models were run to recognize factors associated to each pooled group of symptoms and to their total number. From March 2020 to November 2021, data were collected from 1354 MS patients with confirmed infection of Covid-19. Ageusia and anosmia was less frequent in older people (OR:0.98; p=0.005) and more in smoker patients (OR:1.39; p=0.049). Smoke was also associated with an increment number of symptoms (OR:1.24; p=0.031); substance abuse (drugs or alcohol); conjunctivitis and rash (OR:5.20; p=0.042), and presence of at least one comorbidity with shortness of tachycardia, or chest pain (OR:1.24; p=0.008). Some DMTs were associated with greater frequencies of certain Covid-19 symptoms (association between anti-CD20 therapies and increment of the number of concomitant symptoms: OR:1.29; p=0.05). Differences in frequencies among three waves were found for flu-like symptoms (G1, p = 0.024), joint or muscle pain (G2, p =0.013), and ageusia and anosmia (G5, p < 0.001). All cases should be referred to variants up to the Delta. The authors concluded that several factors, along with the choice of specific therapeutic approaches might have a different impact on the occurrence of some Covid-19 symptoms.
Schiavetti I, Carmisciano L, Ponzano M, Cordioli C, Cocco E, Marfia GA, Inglese M, Filippi M, Radaelli M, Bergamaschi R, Immovilli P, Capobianco M, De Rossi N, Brichetto G, Scandellari C, Cavalla P, Pesci I, Confalonieri P, Perini P, Trojano M, Lanzillo R, Tedeschi G, Comi G, Battaglia MA, Patti F, Salvetti M, Sormani MP; MuSC-19 study group. Signs and symptoms of Covid-19 in patients with multiple sclerosis. Eur J Neurol. 2022 Sep 10. doi: 10.1111/ene.15554.