Predictive factors for a severe course of COVID‐19 infection in myasthenia gravis patients with an overall impact on myasthenic outcome status and survival

• DOI: 10.1111/ene.14951
• Publication Date: 2021-06-03T08:20:00Z
• Authors: Michala Jakubíková; Michaela Týblová; Adam Tesař; Magda Horáková; Daniela Vlažná; Irena Ryšánková; Iveta Nováková; Kristýna Dolečková; Pavel Dušek; Jiří Piťha; Stanislav Voháňka; Josef Bednařík
• Keywords: 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

Myasthenia gravis (MG) patients could be a vulnerable group in the pandemic era of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) mainly due to respiratory muscle weakness, older age and long-term immunosuppressive treatment. We aimed define factors predicting severity COVID-19 MG risk exacerbation during COVID-19.We evaluated clinical features outcomes after 93 patients.Thirty-five (38%) had severe pneumonia we recorded 10 deaths (11%) COVID-19. Higher forced vital capacity (FVC) values tested before were shown protective against infection (95% CI 0.934-0.98) as well good control measured by quantified myasthenia score 1.047-1.232). Long-term chronic corticosteroid treatment worsened course 1.784-111.43) this impact was positively associated with dosage (p = 0.005). Treatment using azathioprine 0.448-2.935), mycophenolate mofetil 0.91-12.515) ciclosporin 0.029-2.212) did not influence treated rituximab high death caused 3.216-383.971). Exacerbation relatively rare (15%) remdesivir, convalescent plasma or favipiravir 0.885-10.87).As most important predictors identified unsatisfied condition lower FVC, previous especially higher doses, age, presence cancer, recent