Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a "public health emergency of international concern" (January 31, 2020), has posed a significant threat to global health. This infectious disease, caused by the 'severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2'(SARS-CoV-2), was first reported in China at the end of 2019. As other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 primarily targets the human respiratory system. The most common symptoms are fever, fatigue, and dry cough. During the second week of the disease, part of patients may progress to shortness of breath, then hypoxemia and severe pneumonia. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), linked to some risk factors such as advanced age and underlying comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease), may be fatal and needs early supportive therapy and monitoring. Some patients with COVID-19 experienced neurological complications including headache, dizziness, hypogeusia and/or anosmia, altered level of consciousness, strokes, seizures, and ataxia, less frequently neuromuscular disorders (NMD) such as acute inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathy. Among NMD, myasthenia gravis (MG) patients, particularly susceptible to infections causing crises, could be of special risk of COVID-19 ARDS. Some general recommendations were established for the management of NMD during the COVID-19 pandemic,with also specific recommendations for MG. However, only data on a small number of patients who were managed in hospital are currently available;in addition, only two cases of myasthenic crisis following COVID-19 were reported. For this reason, the French neuromuscular rare disease network (FILNEMUS: 'FILière NEuroMUSculaire') has created the 'CO-MY-COVID register' to describe the clinical course and prognosis of patients with COVID-19 and pre-existing myasthenic syndrome.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a "public health emergency of international concern" (January 31, 2020), has posed a significant threat to global health. This infectious disease, caused by the 'severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2'(SARS-CoV-2), was first reported in China at the end of 2019. Nowadays, with the exception of Antarctica, COVID-19 is a worldwide pandemic that continues to spread around the world (8,065,966 known cases and 437,604 deaths in June 16, 2020; https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/). As other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 primarily targets the human respiratory system. Its most convincing mode of transmission is inhalation of infectious aerosols or direct contact of infected people's droplets. The most common symptoms are fever, fatigue, and dry cough. During the second week of the disease, part of patients may progress to shortness of breath, then hypoxemia and severe pneumonia. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), linked to some risk factors such as advanced age and underlying comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease), may be fatal and needs early supportive therapy and monitoring. Some patients with COVID-19 experienced neurological complications including headache, dizziness, hypogeusia and/or anosmia, altered level of consciousness, strokes, seizures, and ataxia, less frequently neuromuscular disorders (NMD) such as acute inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathy. Among NMD, myasthenia gravis (MG) patients, particularly susceptible to infections causing crises, could be of special risk of COVID-19 ARDS. Some general recommendations were established for the management of NMD during the COVID-19 pandemic,with also specific recommendations for MG. However, only data on a small number of patients who were managed in hospital are currently available;in addition, only two cases of myasthenic crisis following COVID-19 were reported. For this reason, the French neuromuscular rare disease network (FILNEMUS: 'FILière NEuroMUSculaire') has created the 'CO-MY-COVID register' to describe the clinical course and prognosis of patients with COVID-19 and pre-existing myasthenic syndrome.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
34
CHU d'Angers
Angers, France
CHU de Bordeaux
Bordeaux, France
Hospices Civils de Lyon
Bron, France
APHP - Hopital Raymond Poincarré
Garches, France
CHRU de Lille
Lille, France
Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille
Marseille, France
CHU de Nantes
Nantes, France
APHP GH Pitié Salpétrière
Paris, France
CHU de Strasbourg
Strasbourg, France
CHU de Toulouse
Toulouse, France
Severity of Myasthenia Gravis evaluated by the Myasthenia Gravis of America (MGFA) score
The severity of MG is measured by using the MGFA (Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America) classification, giving the status of 'MG-improvement' (when the scores decreased or remained stable) or 'MG-worsening' (when the scores increased) (Jaretzki A, 3rd, Barohn RJ, Ernstoff RM, et al. Myasthenia gravis: recommendations for clinical research standards. Task Force of the Medical Scientific Advisory Board of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America. Neurology 2000;55:16-23.)
Time frame: 1 month after the inclusion visit
Severity of Myasthenia Gravis evaluated by the Myasthenia Gravis of America (MGFA) score
The severity of MG is measured by using the MGFA (Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America) classification, giving the status of 'MG-improvement' (when the scores decreased or remained stable) or 'MG-worsening' (when the scores increased) (Jaretzki A, 3rd, Barohn RJ, Ernstoff RM, et al. Myasthenia gravis: recommendations for clinical research standards. Task Force of the Medical Scientific Advisory Board of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America. Neurology 2000;55:16-23.)
Time frame: at inclusion (at the time of the COVID-19 diagnosis)
Severity of Myasthenia Gravis evaluated by the variation of the Myasthenia Gravis of America (MGFA) score
The severity of MG is measured by using the MGFA (Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America) classification, giving the status of 'MG-improvement' (when the scores decreased or remained stable) or 'MG-worsening' (when the scores increased) (Jaretzki A, 3rd, Barohn RJ, Ernstoff RM, et al. Myasthenia gravis: recommendations for clinical research standards. Task Force of the Medical Scientific Advisory Board of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America. Neurology 2000;55:16-23.)
Time frame: 3 months after the inclusion visit
Severity of Myasthenia Gravis evaluated by the variation of the Myasthenia Gravis of America (MGFA) score
The severity of MG is measured by using the MGFA (Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America) classification, giving the status of 'MG-improvement' (when the scores decreased or remained stable) or 'MG-worsening' (when the scores increased) (Jaretzki A, 3rd, Barohn RJ, Ernstoff RM, et al. Myasthenia gravis: recommendations for clinical research standards. Task Force of the Medical Scientific Advisory Board of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America. Neurology 2000;55:16-23.)
Time frame: 6 months after the inclusion visit
The autonomy of the patients evaluated with the MG-ADL (Myasthenia Gravis-Activities of Daily Living) scale
The Myasthenia Gravis-specific Activities of Daily Living scale consists of the assessment of 8 parameters: speaking, chewing, swallowing, breathing, self-care activities (brushing the teeth or combing the hair), simple physical activities (getting up from a chair), double vision and eye lid dropping. Each parameter is subjected to assessment depending on the degree of symptoms intensification, awarding points from 0 to 3 points. The maximum number a patient may receive is 24 points. The higher the score of points, the bigger limitations of the patient in everyday life activities caused by intensification of myasthenia gravis (Wolfe GI, Herbelin L, Nations SP, Foster B, Bryan WW, Barohn RJ. Myasthenia gravis activities of daily living profile. Neurology 1999;52:1487-1489.)
Time frame: at inclusion (at the time of the COVID-19 diagnosis)
The autonomy of the patients evaluated with the MG-ADL (Myasthenia Gravis-Activities of Daily Living) scale
The Myasthenia Gravis-specific Activities of Daily Living scale consists of the assessment of 8 parameters: speaking, chewing, swallowing, breathing, self-care activities (brushing the teeth or combing the hair), simple physical activities (getting up from a chair), double vision and eye lid dropping. Each parameter is subjected to assessment depending on the degree of symptoms intensification, awarding points from 0 to 3 points. The maximum number a patient may receive is 24 points. The higher the score of points, the bigger limitations of the patient in everyday life activities caused by intensification of myasthenia gravis (Wolfe GI, Herbelin L, Nations SP, Foster B, Bryan WW, Barohn RJ. Myasthenia gravis activities of daily living profile. Neurology 1999;52:1487-1489.)
Time frame: 1 month after the inclusion visit
The autonomy of the patients evaluated with the MG-ADL (Myasthenia Gravis-Activities of Daily Living) scale
The Myasthenia Gravis-specific Activities of Daily Living scale consists of the assessment of 8 parameters: speaking, chewing, swallowing, breathing, self-care activities (brushing the teeth or combing the hair), simple physical activities (getting up from a chair), double vision and eye lid dropping. Each parameter is subjected to assessment depending on the degree of symptoms intensification, awarding points from 0 to 3 points. The maximum number a patient may receive is 24 points. The higher the score of points, the bigger limitations of the patient in everyday life activities caused by intensification of myasthenia gravis (Wolfe GI, Herbelin L, Nations SP, Foster B, Bryan WW, Barohn RJ. Myasthenia gravis activities of daily living profile. Neurology 1999;52:1487-1489.)
Time frame: 3 months after the inclusion visit
The autonomy of the patients evaluated with the MG-ADL (Myasthenia Gravis-Activities of Daily Living) scale
The Myasthenia Gravis-specific Activities of Daily Living scale consists of the assessment of 8 parameters: speaking, chewing, swallowing, breathing, self-care activities (brushing the teeth or combing the hair), simple physical activities (getting up from a chair), double vision and eye lid dropping. Each parameter is subjected to assessment depending on the degree of symptoms intensification, awarding points from 0 to 3 points. The maximum number a patient may receive is 24 points. The higher the score of points, the bigger limitations of the patient in everyday life activities caused by intensification of myasthenia gravis (Wolfe GI, Herbelin L, Nations SP, Foster B, Bryan WW, Barohn RJ. Myasthenia gravis activities of daily living profile. Neurology 1999;52:1487-1489.)
Time frame: 6 months after the inclusion visit
Risk factors for severe forms of COVID-19
Risk factors for severe forms of COVID-19 are the following: age\>65, 'obesity' (body mass index (, BMI), \>30), 'chronic obstructive pulmonary disease' (COPD), 'obstructive sleep apnea syndrome' (OSAS), 'noninvasive ventilation' (NIV), 'arterial hypertension' , 'diabetes' and 'others'
Time frame: at inclusion (at the time of the COVID-19 diagnosis)
Treatments for MG at the time of the diagnosis of COVID-19
Treatments for MG at the time of the diagnosis of COVID-19 are grouped into six categories: 'acetylcholinesterase inhibitors' (Ach-inh), 'corticosteroids', 'immunosuppressants', 'intravenous immunoglobulins' (IVIg) or 'subcutaneous immunoglobulins' (SCIg), 'plasmapheresis' (PLEX) and 'others
Time frame: at inclusion (at the time of the COVID-19 diagnosis)
Diagnosis of COVID-19
The diagnosis of COVID-19 is considered as 'definite' if confirmed by a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test and/or SARS-CoV-2 serology. The diagnosis of COVID-19 is considered 'probable' if: (i) the patient presented a viral syndrome and (ii) had contact with a confirmed patient considered to have a definite diagnosis of COVID-19 or had specific signs (anosmia, agueusia, skin signs) or had suggestive abnormalities on thoracic CT-scan.
Time frame: at inclusion (at the time of the COVID-19 diagnosis)
Severity of COVID-19
The global severity of COVID-19 was based on the location of management of the patient during COIVD-19: 'home', 'medical unit' ('MU'), 'intensive care unit' ('ICU').
Time frame: at inclusion (at the time of the COVID-19 diagnosis)
Treatments for MG during and after COVID-19
Treatments for MG at the time of the diagnosis of COVID-19 are grouped into six categories: 'acetylcholinesterase inhibitors' (Ach-inh), 'corticosteroids', 'immunosuppressants', 'intravenous immunoglobulins' (IVIg) or 'subcutaneous immunoglobulins' (SCIg), 'plasmapheresis' (PLEX) and 'others
Time frame: 1 month after the inclusion visit
Treatments for MG during and after COVID-19
Treatments for MG at the time of the diagnosis of COVID-19 are grouped into six categories: 'acetylcholinesterase inhibitors' (Ach-inh), 'corticosteroids', 'immunosuppressants', 'intravenous immunoglobulins' (IVIg) or 'subcutaneous immunoglobulins' (SCIg), 'plasmapheresis' (PLEX) and 'others
Time frame: 3 months after the inclusion visit
Treatments for MG during and after COVID-19
Treatments for MG at the time of the diagnosis of COVID-19 are grouped into six categories: 'acetylcholinesterase inhibitors' (Ach-inh), 'corticosteroids', 'immunosuppressants', 'intravenous immunoglobulins' (IVIg) or 'subcutaneous immunoglobulins' (SCIg), 'plasmapheresis' (PLEX) and 'others
Time frame: 6 months after the inclusion visit
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