A Post-mortem of COVID-19-associated stroke: a case-control study

Objectives: To assess whether COVID-19 could be a concurrent factor in the genesis and/or worsening of stroke and to provide data on COVID-19-associated stroke patients during the first pandemic wave and comparative data on COVID-19 nega-tive stroke patients in the same period. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective, observational, case-control, single centre study, carried out in a General Hospital in northern Italy. Sixty-three consecutive stroke patients were included, COVID-19-associated stroke was classified as cases and non COVID-19-associated stroke as controls. Results: A total of 19/63 (28.8%) had a COVID-19-associated stroke, 11 /63 (17.5%) were haemorrhagic and 52/63 (82.5%) ischaemic. COVID-19-associated strokes were more severe (p-value 0.019) and had a higher risk of severe disability and/or death (OR 3.79, CI 95%: 1.21-11.93, p-value 0.19). The COVID-19-associated stroke patients with onset during hospitalization for COVID-19 had a more severe stroke than patients with COVID-19 onset during hospitalization for stroke (p-value 0.019). Conclusion: Although no relationship was observed between the stroke aeti-ology and COVID-19, intriguingly, COVID-associated stroke turned out to be more severe and disabling. Hopefully, further studies will provide more data and help in the management of this emerging population.

Automated summary

This study aims to assess whether COVID-19 could be a concurrent factor in the genesis and/or worsening of stroke and to provide data on COVID-19-associated stroke patients during the first pandemic wave.