Visual evoked potential and nerve conduction study findings in patients recovered from COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 infection is associated with peripheral neuropathy. However, subclinical neurological involvement may occur anytime, and diagnostic methods that reveal this subclinical involvement are not well established. We aimed to assess the subclinical neurological involvement by visual evoked potential (VEP) measurements and nerve conduction studies (NCS) and explore the relationship between neurological electrophysiological findings and the severity of COVID-19 infection. METHODS: Seventy-six patients recovered from COVID-19 infection, and 44 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Patients were assessed for clinical and demographic parameters. NCS and VEP analyses were performed to detect any peripheral neuropathy or optic neuropathy in both groups. RESULTS: None of the COVID-19 patients had electrophysiological evidence of peripheral neuropathy. However, patients with COVID-19 pneumonia had significant abnormalities in several peripheral nerve measurements compared to patients without pneumonia. Although P100 parameters did not differ significantly between patients and controls, 12 patients with COVID-19 had prolonged P100 latencies. CONCLUSIONS: We detected subclinical afferent visual pathway abnormality evaluated by VEP analysis. In addition, we found subtle electrophysiological features in the NCS of the patients presented with COVID-19 pneumonia. However, our findings did not fortify the diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy or optic neuropathy. Further studies are needed to determine the characteristics of COVID-19-related peripheral neuropathy/optic neuropathy whether it has distinct clinical features and disease course.

Adverse events report of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine from 4040 healthcare workers.

OBJECTIVES: Numerous vaccination studies are conducted to protect against COVID-19 infection, and preclinical and clinical studies are still ongoing worldwide. During this extraordinary period, the necessity to perform COVID-19 vaccine studies and immunization programs together has emerged. Vaccine Adverse Effects (VAEs) need to be documented quickly. We aimed to determine the VAEs and to compare the frequency of VAEs between groups according to sociodemographic characteristics after the inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac) was administered to healthcare workers (HCWs) in Turkey. METHODS: An online questionnaire was delivered to 4040 volunteer HCWs across the whole country who were vaccinated with CoronaVac. Sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, history of COVID-19 infection, and VAEs occurring after the first and second doses of the inactivated vaccine were evaluated. RESULTS: The most common local and systemic VAEs after first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were reported as, pain at the injection site (37.9%; 37.6%), headache (21.5%; 16.8%), fatigue (18%; 15%), drowsiness (9.6%; 8.2%), back pain (8.8%; 8.2%), nausea (6.3%; 4.8%), and joint pain (4.7%; 4.7%). Individuals with a history of allergies (generalized or vaccine-related) and females had a higher rate of VAE. Participants aged 60 and over reported less frequent VAEs. CONCLUSION: It is extremely important to identify and document the VAEs occurring in the early postvaccination period in different groups of the community. These initial findings may provide reassurance to healthcare providers and vaccine recipients and promote confidence in the safety of this inactive COVID-19 vaccine, however longitudinal follow-up studies are recommended.