The association between COVID-19 and clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with stroke

Background: The global ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic prompt daily investigations into its multifaceted complications. This study aims to assess the potential effect of COVID-19 on the incidence and prognosis of stroke. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all patients referred to the Emergency Department of Imam Reza Hospital in Tabriz, Iran, between September 2021 and March 2022 with a stroke diagnosis underwent assessments and were checked for COVID-19 infection in the last 30 days. Findings were presented in mean ± standard deviation and frequency (percentage). The quantitative findings were compared using an independent sample t-test, and the string variables were analyzed using the chi-square test. All the patient’s demographic and clinical data were analyzed. Results: We identified 776 patients with stroke and 13 patients with diagnosed COVID-19 infection in the 30 days prior. Patients with a history of COVID-19 did not differ significantly from those without a history in terms of age distribution (62.7 ± 10.6 vs. 64.8 ± 15.8; p value = 0.63). Notably, a higher proportion of patients with a previous COVID-19 diagnosis were male (76.92% vs. 22.15%; p value <0.001). Any statistically significant differences were detected in the clinical signs, symptoms, and brain computed tomography findings. However, we found that patients with a history of COVID-19 had significantly higher mortality rates compared to the other group (53.8% vs. 28.8%; p value = 0.04). Conclusion: Patients with stroke with concurrent COVID-19 infection exhibited worse prognostic outcomes. Given the single-center design, small sample size, and lack of long-term follow-up, further multicenter and longitudinal studies are needed to explore long-term outcomes.