[pubmed] COVID-19 in patients with Myasthenia Gravis: epidemiology and disease course

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Muscle Nerve. 2021 May 24. doi: 10.1002/mus.27324. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19, a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, has become a global pandemic. Patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), often treated with immunosuppressants, might be at higher risk of developing COVID-19 and of demonstrating a severe disease course. We aimed to study prevalence and describe features of COVID-19 in MG patients.

METHODS: in May 2020 we conducted telephonic interviews with MG patients followed at our referral center. We collected structured data regarding MG and COVID-19, which was diagnosed as probable or confirmed according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control case definition. We compared confirmed-COVID-19 prevalence calculated from the beginning of the pandemic in MG patients with that of the overall Pavia district.

RESULTS: we interviewed 162 MG patients (median age, 66 years; interquartile range 41-77; males 59.9%), 88 from the Pavia district. Three patients had SARS-CoV-2-confirmed by PCR and 8 had probable-COVID-19. In the Pavia district, the prevalence of confirmed-COVID-19 among MG patients (1/88, 1.14%) and overall population (4,777/546,515, 0.87%) did not differ (p=0.538). Higher MGFA class and the need for recent rescue treatment, but not ongoing immunosuppressive treatments, were associated with COVID-19 risk. Three/11 MG patients with probable/confirmed-COVID-19 required ventilator support, and 2 elderly patients died of COVID-19 respiratory insufficiency. Only 1/11 patients experienced worsening MG symptoms, which improved after increasing their steroid dose.

DISCUSSION: the risk of COVID-19 in MG patients seems to be no higher than that of the general population, regardless of immunosuppressive therapies. In our cohort, COVID-19 barely affected MG course.

PMID:34031902 | DOI:10.1002/mus.27324


Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3403190 ... 6&v=2.14.4