The COVID-19 Pandemic changed the works for everyone, no matter one’s social status, obligations, or health conditions. These factors, though, impacted everyone to different degrees, some having a rather worse experience than others. Unfortunately, people with chronic illnesses or compromised immune systems were usually found to suffer the most both mentally and physically, being at higher risk of contracting coronavirus they often ignored their mental and physical needs
Traditional studies were unable to accurately measure the emotional and social impacts, but an Italian study seemed to turn the tables. An Italian study in which people with MS in Italy and the USA were asked to fill out a survey to assess the emotional and mental impact of the pandemic. The results were evident, the study showed that people with progressive MS, a form of multiple sclerosis which worsens over time, were associated with poorer outcomes, people with lesser disability had better post-traumatic growth and a significant amount of people were concerned over self-protection and in a state of worrying most of the time (Schwartz et al.). People with MS often found themselves stressed, having thoughts regarding prevention occupying their heads. Whether it be about staying sanitized, or maintaining a safe 6-feet distance, the main concern they had was not contracting the virus. Moreover, either in Italy or the US, people found that from the pandemic they found out who matters to them, became closer with religion, and developed new meaningful feelings. To add on, worry, post-traumatic growth, and self-protection concepts impacted MS disability, in other words, health conditions reported in the survey like less mobility, pain, and depression. These concepts led to an increase and were associated with MS disabilities. For example, in the US worry was linked to depression and disability (Pinto and Wexler).
Furthermore, a study was conducted testing the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, showing that the need for 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine is evident and analyzing the responses of the T-cells, part of the immune system to protect from infections, and long-term efficacy further experimentation is required (Wu et al. ). People who take DMTs, disease-modifying therapies, for relapsing MS are encouraged to take a booster dose, as they have a higher chance of contracting COVID-19.
To conclude, the COVID-19 pandemic was simply not easy for anyone, but for people with pre-existing medical conditions, such as or in addition to MS, life was significantly harder.
Works Cited
Pinto, Vanda, and Marisa Wexler. “Pandemic's Negative Aspects Tied to Worse Disability in MS Patients.” Multiple Sclerosis News Today, 2 June 2022, https://multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com/news-posts/2022/05/20/pdf-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-people-with-multiple-sclerosis-a-comparison-of-italian-and-united-states-cohorts/. Accessed 1 July 2022.
Wu, Xi, et al. “Response of COVID-19 vaccination in multiple sclerosis patients following disease-modifying therapies: A meta-analysis.” Response of COVID-19 vaccination in multiple sclerosis patients following disease-modifying therapies: A meta-analysis, vol. 81, no. 1, 2022, p. 10. eBioMedicine, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(22)00283-3/fulltext. Accessed 01 July 2022.
Carolyn E. Schwartz, Bruce D. Rapkin, Simona Bonavita, Michela Bossa, Maria Chiara Buscarinu, Maria Grazia Grasso, Maria Luca, Agostino Nozzolillo, Ugo Nocentini, The impact of COVID-19 on people with multiple sclerosis: A comparison of Italian and United States cohorts, Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, Volume 63, 2022, 103888, ISSN 2211-0348, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2022.103888. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221103482200400X)
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