Impact of COVID-19 infection in patients with inherited metabolic diseases: a National Multicenter Study from the French IMDs Healthcare Network for Rare Diseases
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for patients with inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs), particularly due to the risk of infection-related metabolic decompensation and disruptions to specialized care. We aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 infection on the clinical course of patients with IMDs in a National Multicenter Study from the French IMDs Healthcare Network for Rare Diseases. RESULTS: This national French study included 317 IMD patients (69 children and 248 adults) with symptomatic or asymptomatic COVID-19 infection between January 2020 and January 2023. Most COVID-19 cases were mild to moderate. The frequency of symptomatic COVID-19 was similar in adults and children (234/248 [94.3%] vs. 56/64 [87.5%], p = 0.09). Children experienced more frequently metabolic destabilization than adults during a COVID-19 infection (17/67 [25.4%] vs. 33/248 [13.3%], p = 0.03). Moreover, the proportion of children admitted to the ICU was higher than that of adult patients (5/69 [7.2%] vs. 4/248 [1.6%], p = 0.04). Temporary suspension or delay of IMD-specific treatment due to COVID-19 was rare, affecting 3/64 (4.7%) children and 13/229 (5.7%) adults. Severe COVID-19 outcomes were uncommon, with only one death in the adult cohort and five cases of long-term sequelae (1 child, 4 adults). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 was generally mild to moderate in IMD patients and caused metabolic decompensation or imbalance in a minority of cases, with only rare interruptions to disease-specific treatment. We observed that COVID-19 more frequently worsened the condition of children with IMD compared to adults in our cohort of patients.
Authors: Claire Douillard, Aurélia Poujois, Nadia Belmatoug, Olivier Lidove, Vanessa Leguy-Seguin, Wladimir Mauhin, Magali Gorce, Aline Cano, Philippe Labrune, Karin Mazodier, Camille Wicker, François Maillot, Anaïs Brassier, Anne-Sophie Guemann, Dalila Habes, Marie-Thérèse Abi-Warde, Isabelle Redonnet-Vernhet, Dominique P. Germain, Christian Lavigne, Azza Khemiri, Karine Mention, Myriam Dao, Bénédicte Héron, Marc G. Berger, Pascale de Lonlay
Institutions: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Lille, Hôpital Rothschild, Fondation de Rothschild, MetabERN, Hôpital Beaujon, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, Groupe Hospitalier Diaconesses Croix Saint-Simon, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Hôpital de la Timone, Hôpital Antoine-Béclère, Hôpital de la Conception, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Tours, Hôpital Bretonneau, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Inserm, Université Paris Cité, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Bicêtre Hospital, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux, Hôpital Raymond-Poincaré, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Angers, Hôpital Armand-Trousseau, Université Clermont Auvergne
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Biochemistry
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,990
OpenAlex ID: W7128913199