The 2021EMSP Conference was centered around the theme of ‘MS Care in a Changing World’, putting a spotlight on the obstacles faced by the MS nurses and care professionals throughout the pandemic.
MS Nurse, Christine Ernon from the Liège University Hospital began her presentation by expanding on the effects of the pandemic on the patients of the MS Center, with a great insight into relapse and recovery history after SARS-CoV-2 infection of MS patients. She highlighted the fear and feelings of fragility felt by many people with MS at the beginning of the pandemic. Yet, the hospital adapted to the changes, offering teleconsultations and ensuring the continuation of knowledge exchange so no patient would have to encounter suspensions of their treatments.
The MS Center of the Liège University Hospital has around 600 patients, out of these 40 were diagnosed with Covid-19, and 2 have been hospitalised (not in ICU centers). Moreover, the patients that have been affected presented fever and flu-like symptoms. Some suffered from relapses with reduced cognitive and functional abilities and new cerebral lesions within days after the infection. Christine’s patients recovered well, almost completely after infection. However, some patients suffer from long-covid and fatigue, which is a poorly studied area at the moment.
Many conclusions could be drawn from this presentation and the case of Liège University Hospital in Belgium, with the most important being: the importance of patients being well-informed, developing better vaccination programs, and investing in long-term Covid data as the long-term side effects of the pandemic are yet to be discovered.
If you would like to listen to the whole session, please refer to this link.
*This blog is a part of a 4-series blog post about the 2021 EMSP Annual Conference.
