Past Podcast Episodes

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

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. Marwa Kaisey, an Assistant Professor of Neurology specializing in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.

We're talking with Dr. Kaisey about the things that people need to know about Ocrevus, Tecfidera, Gilenya, and other specific MS disease-modifying therapies in light of COVID-19. Dr. Kaisey will also share information about the status of people living with MS who have already been diagnosed with COVID-19.  And we'll even hear about some MS disease-modifying therapies that are being tested as potential treatments for COVID-19.

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're also talking about the federal government's decision not to re-open enrollment for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act for 39 states, and we'll tell you which 11 states have re-opened enrollment during the pandemic.

And we'll share the federal government's guidance, reminding states, healthcare providers, and healthcare facilities that it's a violation of federal law to withhold medical treatment due to disability. (We're also sharing a link to that document that you can download and keep with you on your phone!)

We'll review the specific provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act that MS Activists advocated for. And we'll talk about how COVID-19 is already delaying the development and distribution of new MS disease-modifying therapies.