Post COVID-19 neurological complications; a meta-analysis

• Published in: Annals of medicine and surgery 2022-04, Vol.76, p.103440, Article 103440
• Main Authors: Ahmed, Jaafar Omer, Ahmad, Shwan Abdubakr, Hassan, Marwan Nasih, Kakamad, Fahmi H., Salih, Rawezh Q., Abdulla, Berwn A., Rahim Fattah, Fattah Hama, Mohammed, Shvan H., Ali, Razhan K., Salih, Abdulwahid M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: COVID-19; Neurological complication; Post COVID-19 syndrome; SARS-CoV-2; Systematic Review / Meta-analysis
• ISSN: 2049-0801; 2049-0801
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103440

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. The current study aims to present a quantitative meta-analysis of published studies regarding the post-infectious neurological complications of COVID-19. The Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE on OVID, and Google scholar were searched for English-language researches published after January 1, 2020. 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%). 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. •SARS-CoV-2 most commonly associates with pneumonia.•However, new studies have indicated that many other organ systems can be involved.•Also various neurological sequelae in COVID-19 individuals have been identified.•The specific relationship between the infection and neurological disorders remains unknown.•In this study, metadata were discussed regarding post COVID-19 neurological complications.