Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and Covid-19, a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 became a pandemic in March 2020.As the pandemic still unfolds, uncertainty circles around the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on patients with chronic diseases, including autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS).To diminish the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and lessen the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the healthcare of MS patients, it is essential to understand knowledge, attitudes, and various behavioral practices related to Covid-19 among MS patients.
Therefore, this study aimed to look at the behavioral practices related to Covid-19 among patients with MS.A total of 176 MS patients diagnosed at least one year before the survey were conveniently sampled online in Saudi Arabia and their data collected using a structured interview elbeco adu ripstop pants questionnaire in electronic Google form.We determined the reliability of the questionnaire by measuring its internal consistency in a pilot sample of 30 participants.
Overall, more than 80% of participants had good knowledge and attitudes towards Covid-19.However, this did not correlate well with the impact on healthcare (r = 0.06).
Our study revealed that 46% of participants were anxious about taking their medication, and 32% of participants missed their hospital appointments.Furthermore, 15% of the participants had a relapse but did not go to the hospital because of the pandemic, 15.9% abc material stopped their DMTs, and 35.
2% missed drug infusions or refills.Our study revealed overall good knowledge and attitudes related to Covid-19 among MS patients.However, the healthcare impact was considerable, as 32% of the participants missed their hospital appointments, and another 15% had a relapse.
This highlights the significance of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the healthcare of patients with MS.Measures to mitigate the effect of the pandemic on healthcare service delivery to patients with MS, such as telemedicine, should be strongly encouraged.