Management Strategies of Patients with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic Era

Abstract

Sherif M Hamdy, Maged Abdel-Naseer, Hatem S Shehata, Nevin M Shalaby, Amr Hassan, Alaa Elmazny, Ehab Shaker, Mona AF Nada, Sandra M Ahmed, Mohamed I Hegazy, Husam S Mourad, Ahmed Abdelalim, Rehab Magdy, Alshimaa S Othman, Doaa A Mekkawy, Nirmeen A Kishk Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, EgyptCorrespondence: Alaa Elmazny 66-Manial-Street, Cairo, EgyptTel +966536012237Email [email protected]: The ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a global health emergency of international concern and has affected management plans of many autoimmune disorders. Immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies are pivotal in the management of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), potentially placing patients at an increased risk of contracting infections such as COVID-19. The optimal management strategy of NMOSD during the COVID-19 era remains unclear. Here, however, we examined the evidence of NMOSD disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) use during the present period and highlighted different scenarios including treatment of relapses as well as initiation and maintenance of DMTs in order to optimize care of NMOSD patients in the COVID-19 era.Keywords: neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, COVID-19, pandemi