Journal Article

The impact of the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic on patients with chronic inflammatory neuropathies: results from the German INHIBIT register

Klimas, Rafael, Schumacher, Aurelian, Schmitz, Fynn, Grüter, Thomas, Gold, Ralf, Schröder, Maximilian, Brünger, Jil, Pitarokoili, Kalliopi, Spenner, Marie, Motte, Jeremias, Fisse, Anna Lena, Hieke, Alina, Sgodzai, Melissa

2023

Overview

Introduction SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is especially compromising for patients with autoimmune diseases with or without immunomodulatory treatment. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal changes in the health care of patients with immune-mediated neuropathies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We performed a longitudinal study using questionnaires in a prospective cohort of patients with immune-mediated neuropathies at two timepoints of the pandemic: May–July 2021 and May–July 2022. Results The cohort consisted of 73 patients (55 male), mean age 62 years, 68 patients with CIDP, 5 with other immune neuropathies. In 2021, 19.2% of the patients reported a reduced number of physician–patient-contacts, while 13.7% reported this in 2022. Nevertheless, the overall health-care situation worsened from 2021 to 2022: 15.1% reported reduced overall healthcare in 2021, 26.0% in 2022. In 2021, 29.4% of patients reported absence of physio-/occupational therapy, while 34.4% reported this in 2022. Switching immunomodulatory treatment and stretching of treatment intervals occurred more often in 2022 (38.4%) than in 2021 (27.4%). 12 COVID-19-infections occurred overall, with typical only mild symptoms. The rate of fully vaccinated patients was 61.6% and 98.6% in May–July 2021 and 2022, respectively. Only minor side-effects after vaccination were reported. Conclusion Despite mitigation of COVID-19 restrictions from 2021 to 2022, the health-care situation of patients worsened in this time. Reasons could be the international shortage of immunoglobulins during the pandemic and reduced physio/ergotherapy due to lingering regulatory restrictions. Vaccination rate was high in our cohort of patients compared to the general German population and CIDP did not seem to be a risk factor for severe SARS-CoV-2 infections.

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Autoimmune diseases / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / COVID-19 vaccines / Health care / Humans / Immunoglobulins / Immunomodulation / Inflammation / Longitudinal Studies / Male / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Middle Aged / Neurology / Neuropathy / Neuroradiology / Neurosciences / Original Communication / Pandemics / Patients / Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating - epidemiology / Prospective Studies / Risk factors / SARS-CoV-2 / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Vaccination