key: cord-0993862-dr4jcmzl
authors: Zifko, Udo
title: Reply to: Letter to the Editor – N. Mitchell; Covid-19: Involvement of the nervous system. Identifying neurological predictors defining the course of the disease
date: 2021-07-21
journal: J Neurol Sci
DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2021.117577
sha: 35140553d83cbb6e63eb1e8e50d5ee511cb44f3a
doc_id: 993862
cord_uid: dr4jcmzl

nan

Identifying neurological predictors defining the course of the disease Udo Zifko Evangelisches Krankenhaus Wien Neurology Hans-Sachs-Gasse 10-12 Vienna, A-1180 AUSTRIA We read with great interest the comments in the letter by N. Mitchell regarding the prediction of neurological symptoms of Covid-19 by using the age of the study participants.

Indeed, we are grateful for the valuable insights into a still scantly explored aspect of the disease.

Our study [1] was intended to analyze the spectrum of neurological symptoms and their possible predictive value for the course of the disease, and we were able to document the duration but not the severity of neurological symptoms.

Statistical data published by the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior [2] shows that in the period of our study, March 13th -April 14th 2020, the mean age (56,7 years) of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients in Austria was much higher compared to the time before and after our study. For example, the mean age of Sars-CoV-2 patients in calendar week 34 was 31.5, and in week 42 40.6 years. These data may provide explanation of the older age of participants in our study.

The more frequent occurrence of anosmia in younger patients described by Lechien et al. [3] may also be in line with our results showing a negative correlation with age (p=.096) in outpatients. Further trends of increased frequency in younger patients were observed for the symptoms myalgia (p=.052) and headache (p=.055), although not significant.

Covid-19: Involvement of the nervous system. Identifying neurological predictors defining the course of the disease

Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions as a clinical presentation of mild-to-moderate forms of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19): a multicenter European study