Coronavirus and multiple sclerosis - update
The Belgian Charcot Foundation adheres to the guidelines of our health authorities: https://www.info-coronavirus.be/nl/ or https://www.info-coronavirus.be/fr/, which are updated when necessary.
The Belgian Charcot Foundation follows the advice of the Belgian Study Group for MS regarding the treatment of MS patients.
Therefore, following recommendations apply:
- The preventive measures provided to the general population (https://www.info-coronavirus.be/nl/ or https://www.info-coronavirus.be/fr/) do apply even more to patients with MS, especially when treated with disease modifying drugs.
- In patients with MS treated with disease modifying drugs it is recommended:
- Interferon-beta (Avonex®, Betaferon®, Rebif®), glatiramer acetate (Copaxone®), teriflunomide (Aubagio®),dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera®), fingolimod (Gilenya®), natalizumab (Tysabri®): treatment to be continued
- Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus®), cladribine (Mavenclad®), alemtuzumab (Lemtrada®), rituximab (Mabthera®): start or redosing of treatment to be postponed if the disease severity/activity of the patient allows
- Persons with MS who are treated with disease modifying drugs and are infected with Covid-19: to stop the ongoing treatment until recovery
Respect
Today's heroes are not only the care workers, but also the men and women in the shadows in logistics, the post office, garbage collectors, etc., not forgetting the researchers. Their mission is to find ways to solve this crisis, today but also tomorrow.
MS patients are a high-risk group and, like the rest of the population, need to follow the recommendations scrupulously and more.
The Fondation Charcot Stichting remains available for any questions and will relay them to expert neurologists. Our fund-raising actions are continuing because tomorrow too, research will be essential to find better treatments, faster diagnosis and possible prevention.
