OMS Blogs, News & Updates

I am curious about the COVID 19 and MS. For those on immuno suppressants, I am curious what advice there is?

I have loved Gilenya for 4+ years and wonder how long it would take to recover my immune system if I were to stop?

Hamish
OMS and MS for 5.6 years
A big fan of Gilenya
4 years no MS activity

Hi Hamish,
yesterday, there was a post by Prof. Gavin Giovannoni, a very renowned MS specialist, on the topic in the Barts MS Blog, see: https://multiple-sclerosis-research.org ... /pandemic/
He writes: “Although fingolimod (Gilenya) causes lymphopaenia it is not an absolute lymphopaenia as lymphocytes are sequestered or trapped in lymph nodes. Therefore, pwMS on fingolimod can in general deal with viral infections, although they have more frequent and possibly more severe infections. ”
People on immune reconstitution therapies (IRTs), in which the immune system is temporarily more or less wiped out, are apparently more at risk.
The German health authorities are now advising people with chronic conditions to get themselves vaccinated against common flu and whooping cough / pertussis, in order to prevent that the body may have to deal with two severe infections at the same time or that a COVID19 infection hits a person who has already been substantially weakened by common flu.
Hope, that the above link is helpful!
Best wishes
Zoë

Thanks Zoe - a timely article.

Hamish

Prof. Giovannoni published a second post on MS DMTs and COVID-19 on March 2nd, see https://multiple-sclerosis-research.org ... -and-dmts/