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Facial palsy during the COVID-19 pandemic

Luca Codeluppi1, Francesco Venturelli2,3, Jessica Rossi1,4,5

  • 1Neurology Unit, Neuromotor & Rehabilitation Department, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Brain and Behavior
|November 7, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Facial palsy incidence increased during COVID-19, with some patients showing infection symptoms. This suggests a potential link between COVID-19 and facial palsy, with patients delaying care due to virus fears.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Facial palsy, a neurological condition, can have various causes.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges to healthcare systems and patient behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the incidence and clinical characteristics of facial palsy cases presenting to emergency rooms (ER) during the COVID-19 outbreak versus the same period in 2019.
  • To investigate potential associations between facial palsy and concurrent or recent COVID-19 infection.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of medical records from six emergency rooms in Reggio Emilia, Italy.
  • Data collected for facial palsy cases during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (February 27 - May 3, 2020) and the comparable period in 2019.
  • Comparison of patient demographics, clinical features, and time to presentation.

Main Results:

  • An increased incidence rate ratio of 1.73 for facial palsy was observed in 2020 compared to 2019.
  • 21% of facial palsy patients in 2020 reported symptoms consistent with COVID-19, versus 9% in 2019 (p=0.299).
  • Patients in 2020 were younger and presented with a longer delay (1.1 days) from symptom onset to ER visit.

Conclusions:

  • A higher occurrence of facial palsy was noted during the COVID-19 outbreak.
  • The findings suggest an increased risk of facial palsy associated with COVID-19 infection.
  • Delayed medical attention in 2020 may be attributed to patient apprehension regarding COVID-19 exposure in healthcare settings.
Abstract

Keywords:
Bell's palsyCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2facial palsynerve

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