RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients With NMO Spectrum Disorders and MOG-Antibody–Associated Diseases JF Neurology - Neuroimmunology Neuroinflammation JO Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm FD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins SP e200082 DO 10.1212/NXI.0000000000200082 VO 10 IS 2 A1 Martin W. Hümmert A1 Franziska Bütow A1 Daria Tkachenko A1 Ilya Ayzenberg A1 Thivya Pakeerathan A1 Kerstin Hellwig A1 Luisa Klotz A1 Vivien Häußler A1 Jan-Patrick Stellmann A1 Clemens Warnke A1 Yasemin Goereci A1 Thorleif Etgen A1 Felix Luessi A1 Paul Bronzlik A1 Stefan Gingele A1 Ann-Sophie Lauenstein A1 Ingo Kleiter A1 Paulus S. Rommer A1 Friedemann Paul A1 Judith Bellmann-Strobl A1 Ankelien Duchow A1 Florian Then Bergh A1 Refik Pul A1 Annette Walter A1 Hannah Pellkofer A1 Tania Kümpfel A1 Mosche Pompsch A1 Markus Kraemer A1 Philipp Albrecht A1 Orhan Aktas A1 Marius Ringelstein A1 Makbule Senel A1 Katrin Giglhuber A1 Achim Berthele A1 Sven Jarius A1 Brigitte Wildemann A1 Corinna Trebst YR 2023 UL http://nn.neurology.org/content/10/2/e200082.abstract AB Background and Objectives To evaluate the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the life of patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody–associated diseases (MOGAD).Methods This multicenter, cross-sectional study included data of 187 patients recruited from 19 different German and Austrian Neuromyelitis Optica Study Group (NEMOS) centers between July 2021 and March 2022. The effects of the pandemic on immunotherapeutic treatment and access to care, the possible severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, and the potential effect of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 on disease incidence and relapse risk were assessed using a patient questionnaire. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was measured with the EuroQoL Group 5-Dimension 5-Level Scale (EQ-5D-5L). Demographic and clinical characteristics were retrieved from the NEMOS database.Results One hundred eighty-seven patients (75% women; median age 47 [range 21–86] years; median disease duration 5.5 [range 0–67] years; median Expanded Disability Status Scale 2.0 [range 0–8.0]; 51% aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG)-positive, 36% myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-IgG-positive 13% double-seronegative) were analyzed. Most patients maintained excellent access to healthcare services throughout the pandemic. Immunotherapy was not changed in 88% of patients. Ninety-one percent of all patients were satisfied with medical care during the pandemic. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of patients rated their risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 as low or moderate. Among this study sample, 23 patients (12%) knowingly acquired an infection with SARS-CoV-2 and predominantly had a nonsevere course of illness (n = 22/23, 96%). The SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rate was 89%, with 4 cases of confirmed attack or first manifestation of NMOSD/MOGAD occurring in temporal association with the vaccination (range 2–9 days). The reported HRQoL did not decline compared with a prepandemic assessment (mean EQ-5D-5L index value 0.76, 95% bootstrap confidence interval [CI] 0.72–0.80; mean EQ-VAS 66.5, 95% bootstrap CI 63.5–69.3).Discussion This study demonstrates that, overall, patients with NMOSD/MOGAD affiliated with specialized centers received ongoing medical care during the pandemic. Patients' satisfaction with medical care and HRQoL did not decrease.ADEM=acute disseminated encephalomyelitis; AQP4-IgG=aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G; EDSS=Expanded Disability Status Scale; EQ-5D-5L=EuroQoL Group 5-Dimension 5-Level Scale; HRQoL=health-related quality of life; IVIG=IV immunoglobulin; MOG-IgG=myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein immunoglobulin G; MOGAD=myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody–associated diseases; mRNA=messenger RNA; NEMOS=Neuromyelitis Optica Study Group; NMOSD=neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders