ABSTRACT
Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic is especially compromising for patients with autoimmune diseases and receiving an immunomodulatory treatment. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal changes in the health care of patients with immunemediated neuropathies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method(s): We performed a cross-sectional survey using questionnaires in a prospective cohort of patients with immune-mediated neuropathies at two timepoints of the pandemic: May-July 2021 and May-July 2022. The questionnaire examines five subcategories in 13 questions: general health care situation, demand of physiotherapy and ergotherapy, COVID-19 disease, COVID-19 vaccination-offer and vaccine data. Result(s): The cohort consisted of 73 patients (55 male), mean age 61 years. 34 patients with typical CIDP, 23 patients with distal CIDP, 10 patients with multifocal CIDP, one patient with sensory CIDP, four patients with multifocal motor neuropathy and one patient with Paranodopathy. In 2021, 19% of patients reported a reduced number of physician-patient-contacts, while 14% reported this in 2022. Nevertheless, the overall health-care situation worsened from 2021 to 2022: 15% reported reduced overall healthcare in 2021, and 26% in 2022. In 2021, 29% of patients reported absence of physio-/ergotherapy, while 34% reported this in 2022. Due to the absence 70% of the patients reported a worsening of symptoms in 2021, 82% in 2022. Switching immunomodulatory treatment and stretching of intervals occurred more often in 2022 (38%) than in 2021(27%). Due to this changes 50% of the patients reported a worsening of symptoms in 2021. 68% reported this in 2022. 18 COVID-19-infections occurred overall, with typical but only mild symptoms. In May-July 2021 the rate of fully vaccinated patients was 62%, in May-July 2022 99%. Only minor side-effects were reported. Conclusion(s): Despite mitigation of COVID-19 restrictions, the health-care situation of patients worsened from 2021 to 2022 although the physician-patient-contacts increased again in the same timespan. Reasons could be the international shortage of immunoglobulins during the pandemic and reduced physio/ergotherapy due to regulatory restrictions. Thus, there is a need to continue to work on coping strategies for this and future pandemics and to adopt new approaches to provide satisfactory care to patients. Vaccination rate was high in our cohort of patients compared to the general German population. No severe COVID cases were reported in our cohort with patients with immunomodulatory treatment. Disclosures: The authors have nothing to declare related to this .Copyright © 2023