COVID-19 in spinal cord injury patients at a veterans administration hospital: A case series.

CONCLUSION: Level and completeness of SCI did not appear to correlate with COVID-19 severity, as mild and asymptomatic illness was noted in persons with high grade SCI. As has been shown to be the case in the general population, pre-existing comorbidities are the most reliable predictors of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection currently available for persons with chronic SCI. Contrary to concerns that SCI may mask the cardinal signs of COVID-19, such as fever and cough, by way of compromised thermoregulation and thoracoabdominal musculature, such signs were common in our series. To facilitate early detection, prompt treatment, and minimized viral spread, the implementation of preventive strategies by SCI units is recommended. PMID: 33465012 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine - Category: Orthopaedics Tags: J Spinal Cord Med Source Type: research