Racial differences and an increased systemic inflammatory response are seen in patients with COVID-19 and ischemic...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Infectious Diseases
• Immunology

Background:

• Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with various neurological complications.
• Ischemic stroke is a serious potential complication, and its clinical presentation in the context of COVID-19 requires further elucidation, particularly regarding racial disparities and inflammatory markers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical presentation of ischemic stroke in patients with and without COVID-19, focusing on racial differences.
• To investigate the association between the inflammatory response, specifically the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and stroke severity in patients with COVID-19.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted on 60 patients admitted with ischemic stroke.
• Patients were tested for COVID-19 upon admission, and demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected.
• Descriptive statistics were used to compare stroke patients with and without COVID-19.

Main Results:

• Nine out of 60 patients tested positive for COVID-19.
• African Americans represented a higher proportion of stroke patients with COVID-19 (55.6%) compared to those without (37.7%).
• COVID-19 positive stroke patients exhibited significantly higher NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores and NLR compared to COVID-19 negative patients. Mortality rates were substantially higher in the COVID-19 positive group (44.4% vs. 7.6%).

Conclusions:

• Ischemic stroke patients with COVID-19, including a notable proportion of African Americans, presented with increased severity.
• An exaggerated inflammatory response, indicated by elevated NLR, is likely linked to greater stroke severity in patients with concurrent COVID-19 and ischemic stroke.