Episode 137: COVID-19 & MS Update with Dr. Tanuja Chitnis

This week, and for the foreseeable future, we're committed to sharing the most updated and reliable information on COVID-19 and MS.

Joining me as my guest is Dr. Tanuja Chitnis, a board-certified neurologist specializing in multiple sclerosis, with a dual appointment at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Dr. Chitnis is a Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and a Senior Scientist at the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham & Women's Hospital, where Dr. Chitnis created the Translational Neuroimmunology Research Center, which is focused on bringing bench discoveries to clinical trials for multiple sclerosis and related diseases.

Dr. Chitnis serves on the advisory boards and steering committees of several MS-related organizations, including the National MS Society's Medical Advisory Committee, and she's written more than 200 publications and reviews related to multiple sclerosis.

We're discussing who, among everyone living with MS, is immunocompromised and who isn't — and why that matters when it comes to being susceptible to COVID-19. We're talking about whether pandemic-related stress can lead to an MS relapse. And we'll look at the outcomes of MS patients who have already contracted COVID-19.

We'll remind you about the value of a fact, and why credible information from reliable sources is so critical right now. And we'll connect you to the video replay of last Friday's Ask An MS Expert webinar.  (I hope you already consider these weekly webinars with leading MS experts answering your questions to be “can't miss” viewing.)

We'll also tell you about a new North American MS/COVID-19 patient registry for healthcare professionals that will help define best treatment strategies and best patient outcomes for people living with MS who contract COVID-19 in the future.

And now that we all have a bit more time on our hands during the day, we have some suggestions for how you can constructively spend some of that time, including:

• Taking the University of Washington MS Rehabilitation & Wellness Research Center's online survey
• Taking the Massachusettes General Hospital online survey
• Getting involved in iConquer MS patient-powered research
• …and, if you happen to be using an iPhone, even giving RealTalk MS a rating & review!

Check out Episode 4 of the National MS Society's Ask an MS Expert Webinar Series  :56

The Value of Facts in a Time of Uncertainty  2:36

UW MS Rehabilitation & Wellness Research Center COVID-19 Survey   4:54

iConquer MS COVID-19 Survey  5:35

National MS Society & Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Launch COViMS North American Registry  6:41

Have a Minute? Get In Touch!  8:36

My Interview with Dr. Tanuja Chitnis  11:03

Share this episode  20:14

Donate to Walk-MS  20:45