Epidemiological and cohort study finds no association between COVID-19 and Guillain-Barré syndrome

• DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa433
• Publication Date: 2020-11-27T12:21:58Z
• Authors: Stephen Keddie; Julia Pakpoor; Christina Mousele; Menelaos Pipis; Pedro M Machado; Mark Foster; Christopher J Record; Ryan Y S Keh; Janev Fehmi; Ross W Paterson; Viraj Bharambe; Lisa M Clayton; Claire Allen; Olivia Price; Jasmine Wall; Annamaria Kiss-Cs...; Devi Priya Rathna...; Ruth Geraldes; Tatyana Yermakova; Joshua King-Robson; Maya Zosmer; Sanjeev Rajakulen...; Sheetal Sumaria; Simon F Farmer; Ross Nortley; Charles R Marshall; Edward J Newman; Niranjanan Nirmal...; Guru Kumar; Ashwin A Pinto; James Holt; Tim M Lavin; Kathryn M Brennan; Michael S Zandi; Dipa L Jayaseelan; Jane Pritchard; Robert D M Hadden; Hadi Manji; Hugh J Willison; Simon Rinaldi; Aisling S Carr; Michael P Lunn
• Keywords: 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak; Association (psychology)

Abstract Reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) have emerged during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This epidemiological and cohort study sought to investigate any causative association between COVID-19 infection GBS. The epidemiology GBS cases reported UK National Immunoglobulin Database was studied from 2016 compared Data were stratified by hospital trust region, with numbers per month. population data for collated public health bodies. In parallel, but separately, members British Peripheral Nerve Society prospectively incident pandemic at their hospitals a central register. clinical features, investigation findings outcomes (definite or probable) non-COVID-19 associated in this compared. incidence treated 1.65–1.88 100 000 individuals year. fell March May 2020 same months 2016–19. incidences also varied regions did not correlate one another (r = 0.06, 95% confidence interval: −0.56 0.63, P 0.86). independent study, 47 (COVID-19 status: 13 definite, 12 probable, 22 non-COVID-19). There no significant differences pattern weakness, time nadir, neurophysiology, CSF outcome these groups. Intubation more frequent affected (7/13, 54% versus 5/22, 23% COVID-19-negative) attributed pulmonary involvement. Although it is possible entirely rule out possibility link, finds phenotypic clues SARS-CoV-2 being has fallen pandemic, which may be influence lockdown measures reducing transmission inducing pathogens such as Campylobacter jejuni respiratory viruses.