Abstract / Description: 

Importance  It is uncertain whether coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a higher risk of ischemic stroke than would be expected from a viral respiratory infection.

Objective  To compare the rate of ischemic stroke between patients with COVID-19 and patients with influenza, a respiratory viral illness previously associated with stroke.

Design, Setting, and Participants  This retrospective cohort study was conducted at 2 academic hospitals in New York City, New York, and included adult patients with emergency department visits or hospitalizations with COVID-19 from March 4, 2020, through May 2, 2020. The comparison cohort included adults with emergency department visits or hospitalizations with influenza A/B from January 1, 2016, through May 31, 2018 (spanning moderate and severe influenza seasons).

Exposures  COVID-19 infection confirmed by evidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in the nasopharynx by polymerase chain reaction and laboratory-confirmed influenza A/B.

Main Outcomes and Measures  A panel of neurologists adjudicated the primary outcome of acute ischemic stroke and its clinical characteristics, mechanisms, and outcomes. We used logistic regression to compare the proportion of patients with COVID-19 with ischemic stroke vs the proportion among patients with influenza.

Collection: 
eCardio Hub Collection
Category: 
COVID-19 Impact on Minority Health
General CV
Date: 
2020
Author: 
Alexander E. Merkler, MD; Neal S. Parikh, MD, MS; Saad Mir, MD; Ajay Gupta, MD, MS; Hooman Kamel, MD, MS; Eaton Lin, MD; Joshua Lantos, MD; Edward J. Schenck, MD; Parag Goyal, MD; Samuel S. Bruce, MD, MA; Joshua Kahan, MBBS, PhD1; Kelsey N. Lansdale, BA; Natalie M. LeMoss, BS; Santosh B. Murthy, MD, MPH; Philip E. Stieg, PhD, MD; Matthew E. Fink, MD; Costantino Iadecola, MD; Alan Z. Segal, MD; Marika Cusick, MS; Thomas R. Campion Jr, PhD, MS; Ivan Diaz, PhD; Cenai Zhang, MS; Babak B. Navi, MD, MS