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 Hümmert, Martin W. A1 Bütow, Franziska A1 Tkachenko, Daria A1 Ayzenberg, Ilya A1 Pakeerathan, Thivya A1 Hellwig, Kerstin A1 Klotz, Luisa A1 Häußler, Vivien A1 Stellmann, Jan-Patrick A1 Warnke, Clemens A1 Goereci, Yasemin A1 Etgen, Thorleif A1 Luessi, Felix A1 Bronzlik, Paul A1 Gingele, Stefan A1 Lauenstein, Ann-Sophie A1 Kleiter, Ingo A1 Rommer, Paulus S. A1 Paul, Friedemann A1 Bellmann-Strobl, Judith A1 Duchow, Ankelien A1 Then Bergh, Florian A1 Pul, Refik A1 Walter, Annette A1 Pellkofer, Hannah A1 Kümpfel, Tania A1 Pompsch, Mosche A1 Kraemer, Markus A1 Albrecht, Philipp A1 Aktas, Orhan A1 Ringelstein, Marius A1 Senel, Makbule A1 Giglhuber, Katrin A1 Berthele, Achim A1 Jarius, Sven A1 Wildemann, Brigitte A1 Trebst, Corinna 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