COVID-19 School of Medicine

COVID-19 infection linked to higher risk of neuropathy

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have found that many people who tested positive for the coronavirus in the early months of the pandemic also experienced peripheral neuropathy — pain, tingling and numbness in the hands and feet — during and following their bouts with COVID-19. (Photo: Getty Images)

Adding to a growing body of evidence that, for many, problems related to COVID-19 linger longer than the initial infection, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that some people infected during the pandemic’s early months experienced peripheral neuropathy — pain, tingling and numbness in the hands and feet — during and following their bouts with the virus.

In a study of more than 1,500 people who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 during the first year of the pandemic, the researchers found that those who tested positive for the virus were about three times more likely to report pain, numbness or tingling in their hands and feet as those with negative tests.

The findings are reported online March 24 in the journal Pain.

“Several viral infections — such as HIV and shingles —  are associated with peripheral neuropathy because viruses can damage nerves,” said senior investigator Simon Haroutounian, PhD, chief of clinical research at the Washington University Pain Center. “We found that nearly 30% of patients who tested positive for COVID-19 also reported neuropathy problems at the time of their diagnosis, and that for 6% to 7% of them, the symptoms persisted for at least two weeks, and up to three months, suggesting this virus may have lingering effects on peripheral nerves.”

Haroutounian, who also is an associate professor of anesthesiology and director of the department’s Division of Clinical and Translational Research, said some patients who traced the start of their neuropathy symptoms to a COVID-19 infection have sought treatment at the Washington University Pain Center. Most of those in the study, however, reported problems that were rated as mild to moderate and may not have sought help from a pain specialist.

“It is important to understand whether a viral infection is associated with an increased risk of neuropathy,” he said. “In the case of HIV, we didn’t realize it was causing neuropathy for several years after the AIDS epidemic began. Consequently, many people went undiagnosed with neuropathy and untreated for the pain associated with the problem.”

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