COVID-19 Associated Neurological Manifestation.

BACKGROUND: At the end of 2019, COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan. In March 2020, COVID-19 became a pandemic globally. Saudi Arabia registered the first case of COVID-19 on March 2, 2020. This research aimed to identify the prevalence of different neurological manifestations of COVID-19 and to assess the relation of the severity, vaccination state, and continuity of symptoms to the occurrence of these symptoms. METHODS: Cross-sectional retrospective study was done in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted on previously diagnosed COVID-19 patients by random selection using a predesigned online questionnaire to collect data. Data was entered through Excel and analyzed through SPSS version 23. RESULTS: The study showed that the most common neurological manifestations in COVID-19 patients are headache (75.8%), changes in sense of smell and taste (74.1%), muscle pain (66.2%), and mood disturbance (depression, anxiety) (49.7%). Whereas other neurological manifestations such as weakness of the limbs, loss of consciousness, seizure, confusion, and vision changes are significantly associated with older individuals, this may lead to increased mortality and morbidity in these patients. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 is associated with many neurological manifestations in the population of Saudi Arabia. The prevalence of neurological manifestations is similar to many previous studies, where acute neurological manifestations such as loss of consciousness and convulsions are seen more in older individuals which may lead to increased mortality and worse outcomes. Other self-limited symptoms such as headache and change in smell function i.e., anosmia or hyposmia were more pronounced in those <40 years. This mandates more attention to elderly patients with COVID-19, to early detect common neurological manifestations associated with it, and to apply preventive measures known to improve the outcome of these symptoms.

Epidemiological determinants for the spread of COVID-19 in Riyadh Province of Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected millions of individuals all over the world. In addition to the patients' compelling indications, various sociodemographic characteristics were identified to influence infection complications. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the aforementioned parameters on the dissemination of COVID-19 among residents of Saudi Arabia's Riyadh region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the Saudi Arabian province of Riyadh, a cross-sectional retrospective analysis of COVID-19 incidences, recoveries, and case-fatality ratio (CFR) was undertaken. The study was carried out by gathering daily COVID-19 records from the ministry of health's official websites between October 2020 and September 2021. The influencing factors were obtained from the statistical authority. Using the SPSS IBM 25 software, the data was examined. The association between demographic factors as well as the presence of comorbidity on the COVID-19 outcome was determined using Spearman's correlation and regression tests. P < 0.05 was considered to indicate the significance of the results. RESULTS: The data from the study indicated that the highest number of COVID-19 cases were recorded in June 2021, and peak recovery was observed in July 2021. The CFR declined progressively from October 2020 to just over 1, even when the cases peaked. A significant (p < 0.05) correlation between diabetes and COVID-19 incidences was observed. The recovery rate had a significant (p < 0.05) association with the literacy rate and those aged 14-49 years old. Presences of co-morbidities such as Dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, stroke and heart failure have negatively affected the recovery from COVID-19 in the population. The CFR is significantly (p < 0.05) associated with people over 60, hypertensive patients, and asthma patients. Regression analysis suggested that the risk of complications due to COVID-19 infection is more in males, people above 60 years age and those suffering from co-morbidities. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study indicate an association between several of the characteristics studied, such as gender, age, and comorbidity, and the spread of infection, recovery, and mortality. To restrict the spread of COVID-19 and prevent its complications, effective measures are required to control the modifiable risk factors.

Prevalence of anosmia among COVID-19 patients in Taif City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of anosmia in coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) patients. Coronavirus-19-related anosmia and hyposmia is a new emerging concept in the medical literature. METHODS: A retrospective study on COVID-19 patients with anosmia and hyposmia was performed during the period between May-July, 2020. The inclusion criteria were all clinically stable COVID-19 patients less than 15 years old with positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Patients who refused to participate or leave incomplete questions were excluded. In this study, we investigated 1022 patients who met our criteria. RESULTS: Olfactory dysfunction (OD) was reported by 53% of our COVID-19 patients, of which 32.7% were anosmic and 20.3% were hyposmic. Other neurological symptoms included ageusia (51.4%), fatigue (63%), myalgia (59.2%), and headache (50.9%), all of which showed significant association with OD. In addition, anosmia had a significant association with young age and female gender. However, there was no association between OD and pre-existing neurological disease. CONCLUSION: Half of our COVID-19 patients presented OD (anosmia/hyposmia), which often associated with ageusia and many neurological symptoms.

Advantages and disadvantages of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic era among physicians in Taif, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of telemedicine among physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. To assess the awareness about telemedicine among physicians and determine their opinions about telemedicine in the post-pandemic era. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at government hospitals (King Faisal Medical Complex [KFMC]-King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital [KASH]) in Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), from May-August 2020. Taif is a small city in the western region of KSA with a population of 689,000 and 2 main hospitals (KFMC & KASH) which also serve rural areas close to Taif city. A total of 36 physicians practiced telemedicine, only 25 physicians accepted to participate in this study. RESULTS: Thirty-six percent of the responders believed that telemedicine could improve the effectiveness of therapeutic intervention and 44% believed that the quality of care was enhanced using telemedicine. Difficulty in reaching the correct diagnosis due to the lack of physical examination was one of the disadvantages that faced the participants. CONCLUSION: Telemedicine should be part of medical services but should not completely replace physicians' personal interaction. Telemedicine could be continued for stable remotely residing patients even after the COVID-19 pandemic.