Australian patients with MS have little or no anxiety about treatment-related risks of COVID-19 and most are willing to continue their disease modifying therapy (DMT), a survey has found.
While there have been some potential concerns raised about the use of immunomodulatory therapies and the risk of contracting COVID-19 and its outcomes, these are not causing undue anxiety among patients, according to a study of patients being treated at the Melbourne MS Centre, Department of Neurology, Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Responses from 100 patients taking natalizumab, showed most had either no concern (50%) or were only mildly concerned (37%) regarding their treatment in relation to COVID-19. Of the remainder, 8% said they were moderately concerned and 4% were highly concerned.
Similar responses were seen with patients treated with B-cell depleting therapies such as ocrelizumab, with 38% saying they were not all concerned and 46% reporting only mild concern about COVID-19 and their therapy. A slightly high proportion 16% reported moderate concern.
The main concerns raised by patients were not having access to their DMT due to COVID-19 or sustaining a relapse either because of missed treatment or contracting COVID-19.
Concerns about relapse were more common than those related to increased risk of contracting COVID-19 or poorer outcomes if they contracted the virus.
Patients receiving ocrelizumab (63%) expressed a slightly higher level of concern over their risk of contracting COVID-19 compared to those receiving natalizumab (54%), though responses were otherwise fairly similar.
Few patients reported concern over life-style factors (with examples given including an inability to leave the house, not being able to find employment).