Aim of this study was to evaluated anxiety, depression, and possible negative implications on work activities during the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic, in a group of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients at risk of flu-like syndrome (FLS) compared with FLS- free treatments.
The present study included patients treated with interferon-ß (IFNß), glatiramer, and natalizumab for at least one year. Collected data included the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection, Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), together with questions about FLS, change in work habits, use of antipyretics, anxiety, and depression.
100 patients were included in the study. Six patients in IFNß and 5 in the natalizumab group had a confirmed COVID-19 infection. 68% in the IFNß patients reported FLS and only one reported an increase in flu-like frequency during the pandemic; 14% reported lower compliance with treatment, and 40% reported uptake of antipyretics several times. Only one IFNß patient reported having lost more working days than the previous year. The average BAI (p = 0.039) was higher in natalizumab group. Correcting these data by age, sex and EDSS to a multivariate analysis we did not find any statistically significant difference in terms of BAI and BDI-II between the three treatment groups.
FLS were not perceived as COVID19-like symptoms but as expected by traditional pharmacological treatments indeed. These data suggest that IFNß can be used safely.

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