Frequency of Guillain-Barré Syndrome During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multicenter Study

The incidence of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) during the COVID-19 pandemic varies according to country. We investigated the changes in the number of patients with GBS and their characteristics who were reported in Tokyo in 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to those two years prior.

Patients with GBS who were admitted between January 2018 and December 2020 to hospitals in Tokyo were retrospectively included. We collected data on preceding infections, clinical symptoms, spinal fluid test results, nerve conduction study results, and anti-glycolipid antibody levels.

Thirty-four of 57 hospitals (59.6%) participated in this survey and reported 330 patients with GBS over three years. The number of patients in 2020 (n = 71) was significantly lower than in 2018 (n = 124) and 2019 (n = 135) (p = 0.0014). The number of patients with antecedent gastroenteritis (p = 0.03) or upper respiratory tract infections (p = 0.0003) in 2020 was significantly lower than the averages in 2018 and 2019. Analysis by subtype showed that the number of patients with Miller Fisher syndrome (p = 0.0009) and Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis (p = 0.04) significantly decreased in 2020. The number of patients seropositive for anti-glycolipid antibodies, especially anti-GQ1b antibodies, decreased in 2020 (p = 0.0002).

Infection control strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in fewer patients with preceding infections in Tokyo, which contributed to a decrease in the overall number of reported patients with GBS. Precautions for infection may reduce the frequency of patients with GBS.