COVID-19 may increase the risk of getting multiple sclerosis

Covid-19 may be a risk factor for the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). This has been shown by a new study conducted at Örebro University and Örebro University Hospital, Sweden, and published in the journal Brain Communications.

According to the study, people with severe Covid-19 had an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis. However, only a small number of people with severe Covid-19 were subsequently diagnosed with MS.

Scott Montgomery, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at Örebro University studied the medical records of all Covid-19 patients admitted to a hospital in Sweden between 2020 and 2022. The results showed that nearly 26 out of 100,000 patients with severe Covid-19 subsequently developed multiple sclerosis. This risk was more than double that of patients without a Covid-19 diagnosis.

MS is a rare disease, and fortunately, very few people in this study had a diagnosis of Covid-19-related MS. About 26 people with new onset MS per 100,000 with a serious diagnosis of Covid-19 – that’s just 0.02%.

But according to Scott Montgomery, the number of people who will be diagnosed with MS after severe Covid-19 will increase in the years following the pandemic.

“After corresponding exposure of the brain or spinal cord, it may take 10 to 20 years before a diagnosis of MS is made. The extent to which severe Covid-19 serves as a cause of MS will not become clear until several years later,” says Scott Montgomery.

The researcher hopes the study will lead to earlier diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in people who have the disease so they can receive treatment before a neglected form of the disease develops.

“Since most infected people will not develop a disease such as multiple sclerosis, they need not worry. However, people with symptoms should see a doctor as soon as possible. The earlier MS patients get treatment, the better their quality of life will be, because treatment delays the worsening of the disease,” says Scott Montgomery.

He also emphasizes that to prevent infections, it is important to make sure that everyone is vaccinated on time.

There is an association of MS with the severity of Covid-19 as well. More severe Covid-19 is associated with a greater risk of developing multiple sclerosis, and understanding this fact makes it possible to detect hidden multiple sclerosis.

Similar studies are underway on other diseases that may be caused by Covid-19. The results of the studies are coming in all the time.

If we can follow a group of patients admitted to the hospital with severe Covid-19 and identify diseases that are more likely to develop later, we can not only diagnose these diseases in time, but also help patients in a timely manner.