The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on quality of life: a survey of mildly disabled multiple sclerosis patients

Abstract

Background: Almost everyone’s health-related quality of life (HQoL) can be affected by a huge health problem like the COVID-19 pandemic. Aims: We assessed the short-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HQoL in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in Tabriz, Islamic Republic of Iran. Methods: A printed version of the MS-specific HQoL questionnaire was completed by patients at the neurology department at the university hospital in Tabriz and the scores before and during the pandemic (2019 and 2020) were compared. Results: We recruited 50 patients for this study. Although the overall physical (69.29 + SD 16.59, to 68.40 + SD 20.95) and mental health (67.36 + SD 19.02 to 66.76 + SD 22.70) composite scores decreased slightly in the second stage, however, this change was not statistically significant (P = 0.67, P = 0.83). The severity of MS was associated with changes in mental and physical health composites. Conclusions: The effect of the pandemic on the HQoL of mildly disabled MS patients was not statistically significant.