The Effect of COVID-19 Vaccines on Stroke Outcomes: A Single-Center Study.

BACKGROUND: One of the defining narratives of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the acceptance and distribution of vaccine. To compare the outcomes of COVID-19 positive vaccinated and unvaccinated stroke patients. METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective study of COVID-19-vaccinated and unvaccinated stroke patients between April 2020 and March 2022. All patients presenting with stroke regardless of treatment modalities were included. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was used to assess stroke severity. The primary outcome was functional capacity of the patients at discharge. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 203 COVID-19 positive stroke patients divided into 139 unvaccinated and 64 fully vaccinated patients. At discharge, the modified Rankin scale score was significantly lower in the vaccinated cohort (3[1-4] vs. 4[2-5], odds ratio = 0.508, P = 0.011). At 3 months of follow-up, the median modified Rankin scale score was comparable between both cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Although vaccination did not show any significant difference in stroke patient outcomes on follow-up, vaccines were associated with lower rates of morbidity and mortality at discharge among stroke patients during the pandemic.

Telemedicine during and post-COVID 19: The insights of neurosurgery patients and physicians.

OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 has caused a massive surge in telemedicine utilization as patients and physicians tried to minimize in-person contact to avoid the spread and impact of the pandemic. This study aims to expand on the knowledge of telemedicine during and beyond the COVID-19 era as it pertains to its use, efficacy, and patient and provider satisfaction through surveys. METHODS: This is a retrospective study involving 93 patients and 33 Neurosurgery physicians who anonymously participated in the survey about their experience with telemedicine visits. RESULTS: Most respondents indicated extreme satisfaction with their telemedicine encounters during the pandemic (77%). As for how comfortable physicians are in providing a diagnosis via telemedicine compared to clinic visits, 7 (21.9%) physicians felt extremely comfortable, 13 (40.6%) felt somewhat comfortable, 2 (6.4%) were neutral, 9 (28.1%) felt somewhat uncomfortable and 1 (3.1%) felt extremely uncomfortable. Physical examination was the main tool that telemedicine didn't provide (n = 21, 100%). CONCLUSION: Telemedicine has become a major force in the health care system under the circumstances the world is witnessing. Physicians and patients have displayed high levels of satisfaction with telemedicine which could be pivotal to improving healthcare access to underprivileged areas beyond the pandemic.