COVID‐19 infection and vaccination in patients with Skeletal Muscle Channelopathies

Factors associated with the severity of COVID-19 outcomes in people with neuromuscular diseases: Data from the International Neuromuscular COVID-19 Registry

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Clinical outcome information on patients with neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 is limited. The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with the severity of COVID-19 outcomes in people with NMDs.

METHODS

Cases of NMD, of any age, and confirmed/presumptive COVID-19, submitted to the International Neuromuscular COVID-19 Registry up to 31 December 2021, were included. A mutually exclusive ordinal COVID-19 severity scale was defined as follows: (1) no hospitalization; (2) hospitalization without oxygenation; (3) hospitalization with ventilation/oxygenation; and (4) death. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for severe outcome, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, NMD, comorbidities, baseline functional status (modified Rankin scale [mRS]), use of immunosuppressive/immunomodulatory medication, and pandemic calendar period.

RESULTS

Of 315 patients from 13 countries (mean age 50.3 [±17.7] years, 154 [48.9%] female), 175 (55.5%) were not hospitalized, 27 (8.6%) were hospitalized without supplemental oxygen, 91 (28.9%) were hospitalized with ventilation/supplemental oxygen, and 22 (7%) died. Higher odds of severe COVID-19 outcomes were observed for: age ≥50 years (50-64 years: OR 2.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33-4.31; >64 years: OR 4.16, 95% CI 2.12-8.15; both vs. <50 years); non-White race/ethnicity (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.07-3.06; vs. White); mRS moderately severe/severe disability (OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.6-5.69; vs. no/slight/moderate disability); history of respiratory dysfunction (OR 3.16, 95% CI 1.79-5.58); obesity (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.18-4.25); ≥3 comorbidities (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.76-5.83; vs. ≤2; if comorbidity count used instead of specific comorbidities); glucocorticoid treatment (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.14-4.78); and Guillain-Barré syndrome (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.35-7.13; vs. mitochondrial disease).

CONCLUSIONS

Among people with NMDs, there is a differential risk of COVID-19 outcomes according to demographic and clinical characteristics. These findings could be used to develop tailored management strategies and evidence-based recommendations for NMD patients.

Adherence and Reactogenicity to Vaccines against SARS-COV-2 in 285 Patients with Neuropathy: A Multicentric Study

Background: The safety of the new vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have already been shown, although data on patients with polyneuropathy are still lacking. The aim of this study is to evaluate the adherence to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, as well as the reactogenicity to those vaccines in patients affected by neuropathy. Methods: A multicentric and web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among patients affected by neuropathy from part of South Italy. Results: Out of 285 responders, n = 268 were included in the final analysis and n = 258 of them (96.3%) were fully vaccinated. Adherence to vaccination was higher in patients with hereditary neuropathies compared to others, while it was lower in patients with anti-MAG neuropathy (all p < 0.05). The overall prevalence of adverse events (AEs) was 61.2% and its occurrence was not associated with neuropathy type. Being female and of younger age were factors associated with higher risk of AEs, while having an inflammatory neuropathy and steroids assumption were associated with a lower risk (all p < 0.05). Younger age, having had an AE, and COVID-19 before vaccination were factors associated with symptoms worsening after vaccination (all p < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: Patients with neuropathy showed a high level of adherence to COVID-19 vaccination. Safety of vaccines in patients with neuropathies was comparable to the general population and it was more favorable in those with inflammatory neuropathy.