Incidence and clinical outcome of Coronavirus disease 2019 in a cohort of 11,560 Brazilian patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors:   REDONE.br – Neuroimmunology Brazilian Study Group Focused on COVID-19 and MS, Ferreira Lis Campos , Sousa Nise Alessandra de Carvalho , Ferreira Maria Lucia Brito , Dias-Carneiro Rafael Paternò Castello , Mendes Maria Fernanda , Piccolo Ana Claudia , Thomaz Rodrigo Barbosa , Vasconcelos Claudia Cristina Ferreira , Alves-Leon Soniza Vieira , Santos Gutemberg Augusto Cruz dos , Pereira Valéria Coelho Santa Rita , de Oliveira Enedina Maria Lobato , Pereira Samira Luisa Apóstolos , Boaventura Mateus , Disserol Caio César Diniz , Neto Herval Ribeiro Soares , Martins Gabriela Joca , ďAlmeida José Arthur , Pitombeira Milena S. , Mendes Lucas Silvestre , Dourado Mario Emilio Teixeira , de Oliveira Bianca Etelvina Santos , Guerra Davi Veloso , Machado Maria Íris de Morais , Moreira Alvaro Jose Porto , Fukuda Thiago , Cabeça Hideraldo Luís Souza , Rocha Luciano Chaves , de Vecino Maria Cecilia Aragon , Silva Camila Batista Oliveira , Amorim Leizian de Souza , de Castro Andréa Anacleto Ferrari , Neto Antonio Pereira Gomes , Da Rocha Fernando Coronetti G , Gomes Sidney , Ruocco Heloisa Helena , Fragoso Yara Dadalti , Gonçalves Marcus vinicius Magno , Pimentel Maria Lucia Vellutini , Machado (In memorian) Suzana Nunes , Arambula Omar Gurrola , Grzesiuk Anderson Kuntz , Kaimen-Maciel Damacio R , Diniz Denise Sisterolli , Comini-Frota Elizabeth R , do Olival Guilherme Sciascia , Dias Ronaldo Maciel , Melges Luiz D , da Gama Paulo Diniz , Ribeiro Marlise de Castro , Morales Rogério de Rizo , de Andrade Ana Carolina Amaral , Siqueira Heloise Helena , Parolin Monica Koncke Fiuza , Sato Henry Koity , Figueiredo José Alexandre , Calia Leandro Cortoni , Scolari Letícia , Peixoto Carlos Alberto Magirius , Vieira Vera Lúcia Ferreira , Menon Renata Leite , de Sousa Marlos Aureliano Dias , Sobreira Silvana , Ribeiro Taysa A Gonsalves Jubé , Costa Vanessa Maia , Stella Carla Renata Aparecida Vieira , Borges Fernando Elias , Junior Adaucto Wanderley da Nóbrega , Callegaro Dagoberto , Donadi Eduardo Antonio , Adoni Tarso , Catão Rafael de Castro , Fortaleza Carlos Magno Castelo Branco , Miot Helio Amant , Pugliesi Edmur , Guimarães Raul Borges , von Glehn Felipe , Brum Doralina G. 
Published: February 2021

Background:

Little information is available regarding the incidence and clinical outcome of the SARS-CoV2 infection in patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS).

Objective:

To determine the incidence, clinical outcome, and impact of COVID-19 on pwMS.

Methods:

This observational study was prospectively performed on a cohort of pwMS ( N = 11,560) followed up by 47 out of 51 Brazilian MS referral centers that registered pwMS with COVID-19 at the REDONE platform from 13 March to 4 June 2020.

Results:

The incidence of COVID-19 for pwMS patients was 27.7/10,000 patients and for the general population was 29.2/10,000 inhabitants. A total of 94 (77 women) pwMS patients, aged 40 ± 10.25 years, presenting 9.9 ± 8.6 years of MS disease duration, developed the COVID-19, most of them (87%) exhibited the mild form of the disease. Eighty (96%) patients maintained the use of MS disease-modifying treatment (DMT) during COVID-19 pandemic and 14 patients were not in use of DMTs.

Conclusion:

Incidence of COVID-19 in Brazilian pwMS was not different from those observed for the general Brazilian population. Most pwMS exhibited mild COVID-19, despite the maintenance of the underlying MS treatment.