Coronavirus in Multiple Sclerosis Database Launched

This content is courtesy of The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC). To view the original post, click here.

The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society have joined forces to create COViMS, a new North American database to capture COVID-19 infections in people with MS and related diseases. This joint effort will capture information on outcomes of people with MS and other CNS demyelinating diseases, including neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and MOG antibody disease, who have developed COVID-19.

“COViMS will provide valuable insight on how COVID-19 affects people with MS including if certain disease-modifying treatments incur special risks,” said June Halper, MSN, APN-C, MSCN, FAAN, chief executive officer of CMSC.

There is tremendous unmet need to understand the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the health and wellness of people living with MS. Up to now, there is no reporting system organized in North America to collect data that can track the outcomes and potentially inform treatment of people with MS infected with this coronavirus (or other similar future virus infections). The goal of the COViMS registry is to rapidly define the impact of COVID-19 on patients with MS and how factors such as age, comorbidities, and MS treatments impact COVID outcomes.

”People with MS and their healthcare providers need evidence based guidance to provide optimal MS care during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the COViMS database will help answer the many pressing questions,” said Bruce Bebo, Executive Vice-President of Research for the National MS Society.

Health care providers taking care of patients with MS and documented COVID-19 are encouraged to complete a Case Report Form (CRF) on the COViMS website (covims.org). The COViMS website also has FAQs, a sample CRF, and resources and will provide real-time data once registry participation is underway.

Report a case only after a minium of 7 days and sufficient time has passed to observe the disease course through resolution of acute illness or death. To report a case of coronavirus, click here.

To obtain additional information about this joint effort or to report a case of COVID-19, please visit www.covims.org.