Neurological symptoms and comorbidity profile of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The neurological manifestations in COVID-19 adversely impact acute illness and post-disease quality of life. Limited data exist regarding the association of neurological symptoms and comorbid individuals. OBJECTIVE: To assess neurological symptoms in hospitalized patients with acute COVID-19 and multicomorbidities. METHODS: Between June 2020 and July 2020, inpatients aged 18 or older, with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, admitted to the Hospital São Paulo (Federal University of São Paulo), a tertiary referral center for high complexity cases, were questioned about neurological symptoms. The Composite Autonomic Symptom Score 31 (COMPASS-31) questionnaire was used. The data were analyzed as a whole and whether subjective olfactory dysfunction was present or not. RESULTS: The mean age of the sample was 55 ± 15.12 years, and 58 patients were male. The neurological symptoms were mostly xerostomia (71%), ageusia/hypogeusia (50%), orthostatic intolerance (49%), anosmia/hyposmia (44%), myalgia (31%), dizziness (24%), xerophthalmia (20%), impaired consciousness (18%), and headache (16%). Furthermore, 91% of the patients had a premorbidity. The 44 patients with subjective olfactory dysfunction were more likely to have hypertension, diabetes, weakness, shortness of breath, ageusia/hypogeusia, dizziness, orthostatic intolerance, and xerophthalmia. The COMPASS-31 score was higher than that of previously published controls (14.85 ± 12.06 vs. 8.9 ± 8.7). The frequency of orthostatic intolerance was 49% in sample and 63.6% in those with subjective olfactory dysfunction (2.9-fold higher risk compared to those without). CONCLUSION: A total of 80% of inpatients with multimorbidity and acute COVID-19 had neurological symptoms. Chemical sense and autonomic symptoms stood out. Orthostatic intolerance occurred in around two-thirds of the patients with anosmia/hyposmia. Hypertension and diabetes were common, mainly in those with anosmia/hyposmia.

ANTECEDENTES: As manifestações neurológicas na COVID-19 impactam adversamente na enfermidade aguda e na qualidade de vida após a doença. Dados limitados existem em relação a associação de sintomas neurológicos e indivíduos com comorbidades. OBJETIVO: Avaliar os sintomas neurológicos em pacientes de hospitalizados com COVID-19 aguda e múltiplas comorbidades. MéTODOS: Entre junho e julho de 2020, pacientes de hospitais com idade 18 anos ou acima e COVID-19 laboratorialmente confirmada, admitidos no Hospital São Paulo (Universidade Federal de São Paulo), um centro de referência terciário para casos de alta complexidade, foram perguntados sobre sintomas neurológicos. O questionário Pontuação composta de sintoma autonômico (COMPASS-31) foi usado. Os dados foram analisados no geral e se a disfunção olfatória subjetiva estava presente ou não. RESULTADOS: A média de idade da amostra foi 55 ± 15.12 anos. 58 pacientes eram homens. Os sintomas neurológicos foram principalmente xerostomia (71%), ageusia/hipogeusia (50%), intolerância ortostática (49%), anosmia/hiposmia (44%), mialgia (31%), tontura (24%), xeroftalmia (20%), comprometimento na consciência (18%) e cefaleia (16%). Além disso, 91% dos pacientes tinham uma pré-morbidade. Os 44 pacientes com disfunção olfatória tinham maior chance de ter hipertensão, diabetes, fraqueza, falta de ar, ageusia/hipogeusia, tontura, intolerância ortostática e xeroftalmia. A pontuação do COMPASS-31 foi maior do que a de controles previamente publicados (14,85 ± 12,06 vs. 8,9 ± 8,7). A frequência de intolerância ortostática foi 49% na amostra e 63,6% naqueles com disfunção olfatória subjetiva (risco 2.9 vezes maior comparado com os sem). CONCLUSãO: Um total de 80% dos pacientes hospitalizados com múltiplas morbidades e COVID-19 aguda tinham sintomas neurológicos. Os sintomas do sentido químico e autonômicos se destacaram. A intolerância ortostática ocorreu em cerca de dois terços dos pacientes com anosmia/hiposmia. A hipertensão e o diabetes foram comuns, principalmente naqueles com anosmia/hiposmia.

Seroprevalence of immunoglobulin M and G antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in ophthalmic patients (preprint)

Using serological test to estimate the prevalence and infection potential of coronavirus disease 2019 in ocular diseases patients help understand the relationship between ocular diseases and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We conducted a cross-sectional study assaying the IgG and IgM antibodies in 1331 individuals with ocular diseases by using a magnetic chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay kit, during the period from February 2020 to May 2020. In our study, the seroposivity in total ocular disease patients was 0.83% (11/1331). The patients with different ocular diseases including xerophthalmia, keratitis, conjunctival cyst, cataract, glaucoma, refractive error, strabismus and others had seroposivity of 2.94%, 12.5%, 25%, 4.41%, 2.63%, 1.6%, 2.22% and 0%, respectively. Among that, two ocular surface disease groups (keratitis and conjunctival cyst) had higher seroprevalence compared with others. All the participants were reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction negative for SARS-CoV-2 from throat swabs. Our study evaluated the seroprevalence in patients with different ocular diseases, which will help us understand the relationship between ocular disease and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, the serological test for the presence of IgM and/or IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 might provide accurate estimate of the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with ocular diseases.