Post COVID-19 neurological complications; a meta-analysis

Jaafar Omer Ahmed; Shwan Abdubakr Ahmad; Marwan Nasih Hassan; Fahmi H Kakamad; Rawezh Q Salih; Berwn A Abdulla; Fattah Hama Rahim Fattah; Shvan H Mohammed; Razhan K Ali; Abdulwahid M Salih

doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103440

Post COVID-19 neurological complications; a meta-analysis

Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2022 Apr:76:103440. doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103440. Epub 2022 Mar 3.

Authors

Jaafar Omer Ahmed^{1

2}, Shwan Abdubakr Ahmad³, Marwan Nasih Hassan^{1

3

4}, Fahmi H Kakamad^{1

3

4}, Rawezh Q Salih^{1

3}, Berwn A Abdulla^{1

3}, Fattah Hama Rahim Fattah^{3

4}, Shvan H Mohammed¹, Razhan K Ali⁵, Abdulwahid M Salih^{3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Kscien Organization, Hamdi Str, Azadi Mall, Sulaimani, Kurdistan, Iraq.
² Mental Health Treatment Center, Madam Mitterrand Street, Sulaimani, Iraq.
³ Smart Health Tower, Madam Mitterrand Street, Sulaimani, Kurdistan, Iraq.
⁴ College of Medicine, University of Sulaimani, Madam Mitterrand Street, Sulaimani, Kurdistan, Iraq.
⁵ Shar Hospital, Sulaimani, Kurdistan, Iraq.

Abstract

Introduction: Despite numerous studies regarding neurological manifestations and complications of COVID-19, only a few cases of neurological consequences following complete recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection have been described.

Objectives: The current study aims to present a quantitative meta-analysis of published studies regarding the post-infectious neurological complications of COVID-19.

Data sources: The Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE on OVID, and Google scholar were searched for English-language researches published after January 1, 2020.

Result: The review of the literature revealed 60 cases - of which 40 (66.7%) cases were male, and 18 (30%) were female. The average age was 44.95 years. Overall, 17 (28.3%) patients had comorbid conditions. Twenty-four (40%) patients were hospitalized during an active COVID-19 infection. The average interval from the COVID-19 infection to the onset of neurological sequelae was 33.2 days. Guillain-Barre syndrome was the most commonly reported neurological condition (15, 25%).

Conclusion: Despite recovery from acute infection, the pandemic highlights the significance of ongoing, comprehensive follow-up of all COVID-19 patients - even those initially were believed to be asymptomatic.

Keywords: COVID-19; Neurological complication; Post COVID-19 syndrome; SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

Review