Registry Database for COVID-19 in People With Multiple Sclerosis Created

The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society have worked together to create COViMS, a new North American database to capture COVID-19 infections in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) and related diseases. This joint effort will capture information on outcomes of people with MS and other CNS demyelinating diseases, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-antibody disease, who have developed COVID-19.  

“COViMS will provide valuable insight on how COVID-19 affects people with MS including if certain disease-modifying treatments incur special risks,” said June Halper, CEO, CMSC.

There is tremendous unmet need to understand the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the health and wellness of individuals living with MS. There has been no reporting system organized in North America to collect data that can track the outcomes and potentially inform the treatment of people with MS infected with this coronavirus, or other similar future virus infections. The goal of the COViMS registry is to rapidly define the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with MS and how factors such as age, comorbidities, and MS treatments affect COVID-19 outcomes.

”People with MS and their healthcare providers need evidence-based guidance to provide optimal MS care during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the COViMS database will help answer the many pressing questions,” said Bruce Bebo, executive vice president of Research for the National MS Society.

Health care providers taking care of individuals with MS and documented COVID-19 are encouraged to complete a Case Report Form (CRF) on the COViMS website (covims.org). The COViMS website also has FAQs, a sample CRF, resources and will provide real-time data once registry participation is underway.  

To obtain additional information about this joint effort or to report a case of COVID-19, please visit www.covims.org.