Could vertigo be a post-COVID-19 sequela or presenting symptom?

BACKGROUND: It has been postulated that COVID-19 has a substantial neuro-otological impact such as vertigo or dizziness that is rarely evaluated. The purpose of this research is to study the occurrence of vertigo (whether as presenting symptom or a sequela) and its etiological characteristics in patients with covid 19 infection and close contact . It is a cross-sectional study (convenient sample) conducted on patients that had a previous history of covid 19 infection and another group of contact individuals who presented with the sensation of vertigo . All the included participants underwent full neurological and otological examination, nasopharyngeal swab PCR to confirm COVID-19 infection and video nystgmograghy (VNG).

RESULTS: it was included 44 participants, where 7 (15.9%) of the participants were post-COVID-19 patients and 37 (84.1%) were close contacts of COVID patients. It was found that 6(85.7%) of post-COVID-19 patients had vestibular neuritis (VN), and 1(14.3%) patient had Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). 9(23%) of those in close contact had positive PCR for COVID infection, 6(66.7%) of them had VN, and the other 3 (33.3%) had BPPV.

CONCLUSION: Vertigo could be a possible complication or a presenting symptom in patients with COVID patients that is mainly attributed to peripheral vestibular dysfunction.