DMT does not increase risk of severe COVID-19

Data from France has shown that for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), high scores on the expanded disability severity scale (EDSS), age, and obesity were linked as risk factors to more severe COVID-19 infections, but use of disease-modifying therapy was not.

The study involved 347 patients who had an average age of 45 and who had either confirmed or suspected COVID-19. Of these, 73 were hospitalised and 12 died. Researchers found that the main risk factors for severe COVID-19 were neurological disability measured on the EDSS scale, followed by age and obesity – the latter two are already known to be risk factors for the general population.

“Our data do not support an increased risk of severe outcome associated with DMTs, which should reinforce the recommendation of not stopping current DMTs and not delaying treatment initiation in patients who have higher disease inflammatory activity, risk for relapses, or subsequent disability,” investigators wrote.