The Neurological Manifestation in COVID-19 Patients in Gezira COVID-19 Isolation Centre

Background: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was first identified in December of 2019 in the city of Wuhan, China. In addition to respiratory symptoms, reports are emerging of neurological manifestations of SARS‐CoV‐2

Objective: To assess the neurological manifestations in COVID-19 positive patients.

Methods: A cross sectional, prospective, descriptive, hospital based study included 106 COVID-19 patients in Gezira COVID-19 Centre during the period from June to September 2020. Data regarding demographics, clinical history, presentations, laboratory investigations, neuroimaging and outcomes were collected.

Results: 106 COVID-19 patients were included in this study, 67(63.2%) were males and 39(36.8%) were females, their mean age was 68±4.3 years and most of them 58(54.7%) aged above 60 years. The main respiratory symptoms of COVID 19 were dyspnea in 66(62.3%), fever in 59(55.7%), cough in 50(47.2%) patients. The non specific neurological symptoms of COVID-19 were headache in 29(27.4%), dizziness in 9(8.5%) and syncope in one (0.9%) patient. Symptoms of COVID-19 related to cranial nerves such as change in smell (n= 87; 82.1%) and dyskinesia (n=80; 75.4%) were the most common neurological manifestations encountered. Focal neurological deficits were TIA in 2(1.9%), intracranial hemorrhage in one (0.9%) and transverse myelitis in one (0.9%) patient.

Conclusion: The study showed that neurological manifestations of COVID-19 were common and mostly olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions among Sudanese subjects. Also, COVID-19 could be a risk factor for stroke and transverse myelitis. The study suggest that objective olfactory and gustatory may be needed to determine their clinical significance.