Covid-19 may increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis

Covid-19 may be a risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). This has been demonstrated in new research conducted at the University of örebro and örebro University Hospital in Sweden.

We have observed an increased risk of multiple sclerosis among people who have had severe Covid-19. However, only a very small number of people who had severe Covid-19 were later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.”

Scott Montgomery, professor of clinical epidemiology at the University of Örebro

Scott Montgomery examined the records of all Covid-19 patients admitted to hospital in Sweden between 2020 and 2022.

The results showed that almost 26 in 100,000 patients with severe Covid-19 later developed multiple sclerosis. This was more than twice the risk of people without a Covid-19 diagnosis.

“I want to make it clear that multiple sclerosis is a rare disease and very few people in this study were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis linked to Covid-19. About 26 people with new MS per 100,000 people with severe Covid-19 is only 0.02%. “

Scott Montgomery suspects that the number of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis following severe Covid-19 will increase in the years after the pandemic.

“It may take 10 to 20 years for multiple sclerosis to be diagnosed after adequate exposure to the brain or spinal cord. The extent to which severe Covid-19 is a cause of multiple sclerosis will become clear in a few years, says Scott Montgomery.

He hopes the research will result in earlier diagnosis of multiple sclerosis among people with the disease so that they can be treated before more advanced disease develops.

“Since most infected people will not develop diseases such as multiple sclerosis, they should not worry. However, people with symptoms should seek medical attention. The sooner multiple sclerosis patients receive treatment, the better their quality of life will be because treatment delays the worsening of the disease, says Scott Montgomery.

It also emphasizes the importance of ensuring everyone is up to date on vaccinations to prevent infections.

“There is a connection with the severity of Covid-19. More severe Covid-19 is associated with a greater risk of multiple sclerosis, possibly revealing hidden multiple sclerosis.”

Similar research is ongoing on other diseases that may be caused by Covid-19. Research results are coming in constantly.

“If we can track a group of patients admitted to hospital with severe Covid-19 and identify the diseases that are more likely to develop later, we may be able to monitor these diseases and hopefully help patients in a timely manner “.

The study results were published in the journal Brain Communications.