Neuromyelitis optica practice and prescribing changes in the setting of Covid19: A survey of neurologists

Shawheen J Rezaei; Andre C Vogel; Brittany Gazdag; Nicholas Alakel; Aditya Ravi Kumar; Farrah J Mateen

doi:10.1016/j.jneuroim.2020.577320

Neuromyelitis optica practice and prescribing changes in the setting of Covid19: A survey of neurologists

J Neuroimmunol. 2020 Jul 11:346:577320. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2020.577320. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Shawheen J Rezaei¹, Andre C Vogel¹, Brittany Gazdag², Nicholas Alakel², Aditya Ravi Kumar², Farrah J Mateen³

Affiliations

¹ Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA.
² ZoomRx, Boston, USA.
³ Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. Electronic address: fmateen@mgh.harvard.edu.

Abstract

Purpose: This study reports and analyzes the findings from the responses of 192 neurologists in the United States and Canada to a new survey instrument distributed in April 2020 to assess NMO practice and prescribing changes during the Covid19 pandemic.

Principal results: 92% of responding neurologists considered their NMO patients to be at an elevated risk of acquiring Covid19. They also indicated sharp declines in visits, delays in treatment and related services, and several unmet needs deterring treatment.

Major conclusions: There is a need for evidence-based, comprehensive guidelines for treating NMO patients amid healthcare crises moving forward.

Keywords: Covid19; Health behavior; Immunosuppression; Neuroimmunology; Neurologist; Neuromyelitis optica.