Study Reveals Covid-19 Does Not Aggravate Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms
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New Delhi, Dec 24 (NationPress) A Covid-19 infection does not exacerbate symptoms or disability in individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), as revealed by a recent study.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an ongoing illness that impacts the central nervous system (CNS) and results from an autoimmune attack on the body's healthy cells.
Researchers from the University of Texas’s Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas undertook a study involving 2,132 adults with MS, averaging 65 years of age, over a span of 18 months.
While infections are known to induce disability among MS patients, the findings published in the online edition of the Neurology journal indicated that “for Covid-19 infections specifically, this was not the case.”
“This is positive news for those with MS, as they do not need to be concerned about the long-term deterioration of their MS symptoms following a Covid-19 infection,” stated Amber Salter, a researcher at the university and member of the American Academy of Neurology.
In the research, 796 individuals reported having contracted Covid, while 1,336 individuals indicated they had never had the virus.
Throughout the study, participants were asked to evaluate the severity of their MS symptoms and provided feedback on areas such as walking, hand function, bodily pain, fatigue, memory, and cognitive function.
They also assessed their level of disability based on how their condition impacted daily activities like walking or standing.
The results indicated that for both Covid-positive and Covid-negative individuals, the severity of MS symptoms increased minimally by 0.02 points each month.
No significant differences were observed in MS symptom severity or disability between those with and without Covid.
“Our study suggests that Covid-19 infection was not linked to immediate alterations in symptom severity or disability, nor did it impact the trajectory of MS symptoms or disability for over 18 months following the infection,” commented Salter.
She did, however, acknowledge that the results might vary for younger individuals.
