Coronavirus and epilepsy

Info video “Coronavirus and Epilepsy”

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Info video “Coronavirus and Epilepsy”

COVID-19 has no more risk for people with epilepsy than for others; vaccination is recommended.
Swiss League Against Epilepsy, december 2021.

Find up-to-date information in our FAQ

We answer questions that people living with epilepsy and their relatives may be asking about the new coronavirus and the disease COVID-19.

According to the evidence currently available, people with epilepsy alone are not at risk of more severe symptoms from coronavirus, although this is not the case for those who have additional medical conditions.
Nevertheless, everyone should still take measures to avoid infection and should follow the guidelines. These have been translated into many different languages.

Most people with epilepsy have a normal immune system unless it has been compromised by other medical conditions or treatments. They should make sure they continue to take their medication regularly.

Only a small number of treatments weaken the immune system, including ACTH, steroids and immunotherapies, and to a lesser extent phenytoin, phenobarbital and primidone (Mysoline®).

Fever can trigger epileptic seizures. Other triggers are stress, anxiety or disrupted sleep caused by worry about the current situation, irregular eating and drinking patterns and not taking medication regularly (e.g. due to vomiting).

According to the information we have so far from countries more severely affected by COVID-19, the risk of it causing additional seizures is relatively low.

Rufen Sie in diesem Fall Ihre Hausärztin und den behandelnden Neurologen an und folgen Sie deren Anweisungen. Möglicherweise ist es in diesem Fall sinnvoll, ein Notfallmedikament vorrätig zu haben.

Dauert ein Krampfanfall länger als 3 Minuten und ist kein Notfallmedikament verfügbar, oder es hilft nicht:  Betroffenen vor Verletzungen schützen und 144 anrufen.

Erste Hilfe bei einem Anfall

We don’t currently know of any coronavirus-related supply shortages.

As a precaution, all prescription drugs are currently being rationed. People with chronic conditions such as epilepsy are allowed to get a two-month supply of their medication.

We recommend you do not let your personal supplies run low – make sure you phone up for your next prescription in plenty of time.

Autor: Stephan Rüegg

letzte Aktualisierung: 25. März 2020

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