Thank you for being such kind and generous supporters for our Barts-MS COVID-19 antibody study. It is clear that Prof G running the virtual NYC marathon this weekend, or next, depending on the weather, is not going to get us to the finish line. Therefore, we are going to take your advice and launch Barts-MS webinars. The webinar idea was suggested by one of you in the comments when we launched...
#MSCOVID19: Asymptomatic Shedders
Barts-MS rose-tinted-odometer: ★ The reason why so many people are coming down with COVID-19 and the second-surge is truly surging is the observation that three-quarters of people who are actively shedding SARS-CoV-2, i.e. have positive tests, are asymptomatic at the time of testing (see the latest study below). In summary, having symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 is a very poor marker of whether...
#MSCOVID19: anti-CD20 nuances
Barts-MS rose-tinted-odometer: ★★★ I had to have a detailed discussion with a patient this week about starting ocrelizumab during the COVID-19 pandemic. This patient was concerned about (1) the data showing an increased risk of COVID-19 in anti-CD20 treated patients, (2) an increasing number of cases not seroconverting when being infected with the coronavirus and (3) she will not be able to have...
#MSCOVID19: dropping dead
Barts-MS rose-tinted-odometer: ★★★★★ “Did you hear that Professor Giovannoni dropped dead after attempting to complete the virtual New York Marathon trying to raise money for a multiple sclerosis research project?” “Prog G finally throws in the towel and arranges to see an orthopaedic surgeon about his failing right hip. His attempt to complete a marathon to raise money for MS research was one...
#MSCOVID19: digital health – what will survive?
Barts-MS rose-tinted-odometer: ★★★ I am doing a webinar with Professor Tjalf Ziemssen, a good friend and colleague from Dresden, Germany, this afternoon on the digital management of MS. Interestingly, many of the changes and innovations we have put in place to manage MS during the COVID-19 pandemic will survive and actually thrive in the new NHS, simply because we are a socialist healthcare...
#MSCOVID19: good news
Barts-MS rose-tinted-odometer: ★★★★★ The late late-breaking session at the MSVirtual2020 meeting, which covered COVID-19 has already received a lot of air-time on social media. The big-data alliance confirmed the Italian data, i.e. that people with MS (pwMS) on anti-CD20 are at higher risk of getting COVID-19 and severe COVID-19 (hospitalisation, intensive care admission and/or ventilation)...
#MSCOVID19 running the talk
Barts-MS rose-tinted-odometer: ★★★★★ In anticipation of a second-lockdown at a meeting with colleagues last night I was asked the question about what positive experiences I could reflect on from the first lockdown. Firstly, no international travel and a focus on family, home life and the realisation that we can live more sustainably. Secondly, walking or running the talk. I decided to take my own...
#MSCOVID19: the new lepers?
Barts-MS rose-tinted-odometer: ★★★ Early this week my wife came down with a cold. Did she have coronavirus was the immediate question? She asked me for advice and I said she had better get herself swabbed and in the interim we should isolate ourselves. All she had was a mild headache (sinus-type), runny nose, sneezing and a sore throat. She did not have a temperature and only developed a mild...
#MSCOVID19: European COVID-19 Cup Quarterfinals
There has been a lot of debate about which country has had the best strategy at dealing with their coronavirus epidemic. It is clear based on the epidemiology of pandemics that countries needed to play with the mid and end game in mind. We are now quite a way into the COVID-19 pandemic and have reached the quarterfinals stage. Which countries do you think are going to win the quarterfinals and...
#MSCOVID19: round 2
Barts-MS rose-tinted-odometer: ★ Every now again it is worth covering a topic that is important for people living with MS (pwMS) a second time. Today’s topic is COVID-19 prehabilitation. Today when I got on the London Underground to come to work the carriages were ~75% full, i.e. very few empty seats and not much standing room. In other words, adequate social distancing was not possible...