Individuals with pre-existing neurological diseases not prone to develop Long-COVID
A comprehensive retrospective cohort study has shed light on the potential health implications of COVID-19 in individuals with pre-existing conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord injury (SCI), or traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study was published in the journal PM & R: The Journal of Injury Function and Rehabilitation by Benjamin A. and colleagues. This research aimed to unravel the impact of COVID-19 on both acute infection severity and post-COVID outcomes among these vulnerable populations.
The study, utilizing the TrinetX Research Database—a robust repository of medical records—analyzed data from 388,297 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases. Among these, 2204 individuals had a prior diagnosis of MS, SCI, or TBI. They were matched against COVID-19-positive individuals without these diagnoses to assess various health outcomes.
The findings of the study were:
Acute Infection Severity: Individuals with TBI, MS, or SCI were notably more likely to be hospitalized for acute COVID-19 compared to their matched counterparts. Specifically, they exhibited a 22% higher likelihood of hospitalization for COVID-19.
Post-COVID Sequelae: While these conditions didn’t correlate with increased mortality risk, they were associated with significant post-acute COVID-19 symptoms. Individuals with TBI, MS, or SCI were more prone to experiencing new weakness, mobility difficulties, and cognitive dysfunction following their COVID-19 diagnosis.
Pre-existing Diagnoses Distribution: 51.3% had TBI, 31.4% had MS, and 17.3% had SCI among the COVID-19-positive individuals with these specific pre-existing conditions.
Hospitalization Odds Ratio: Individuals with TBI, MS, or SCI exhibited a 22% higher likelihood of hospitalization for COVID-19 compared to matched controls.
Post-acute COVID-19 Symptoms Odds Ratio: Those with these conditions were notably more likely to experience new weakness (54% increased odds), mobility difficulties (66% increased odds), and cognitive dysfunction (79% increased odds) compared to controls.
The study reveals that individuals with a history of MS, SCI, or TBI faced an increased risk of hospitalization due to acute COVID-19. Although their mortality risk wasn’t higher, concerns were raised about the significant post-acute COVID-19 symptoms experienced by these groups. This highlights the potential widening of health disparities in individuals with such disabling conditions after COVID-19 infection.
Reference:
Abramoff, B. A., Hentschel, C., Dillingham, I. A., Dillingham, T., Baraniecki-Zwil, G., Williams, A., & Pezzin, L. E. The association of multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury to acute and long COVID‐19 outcomes. PM & R: The Journal of Injury, Function, and Rehabilitation,2023. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmrj.13121
