Features of headache in COVID-19 patients detection also research the relationship with inflammatory and respiratory parameters

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE: COVID-19 is a disease accompanied by many neurological findings, the most common being headache, in addition to respiratory tract findings. We aimed to investigate the clinical features of newly detected headache, its relationship with respiratory and inflammatory parameters, and to contribute to the follow-up and treatment of patients by examining the relationship of headache attributed to COVID-19 with the clinical outcome of the disease in cases hospitalized due to COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 196 patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19, followed in the Pandemic Service of Ministry of Health Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, were included in the study. Characteristics of headache, sociodemographic data, clinical findings, family contact histories, smoking histories of the cases included in the study were recorded. In statistical analysis and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 52,04±16,02 and 60,7% were male. New-onset COVID-19 related headache was observed in 43.3% of the patients, and no relationship was found between headache and gender. A negative correlation was found between headache and body temperature. Anosmia (56.5%), dysgeusia (50,6%), nausea (44,7%), diarrhea (44,7%), dizziness (14,1%), and contact history in family (42,6%) in patients with headache was found to be higher. While headache was positively correlated with CRP, lactate, CAR, ELR and MLR values, it was negatively correlated with lymphocyte and leukocyte values. Headache associated with COVID-19 was bilateral in 68,2% of the patients, localized in the forehead in 41,2%, throbbing in 36,5%, frequently lasting 1-24 hours and sensitive to NSAIDsA. Linear correlation was found between CRP, ferritin, CAR, MLR and headache intensity. CONCLUSION: In our study, the headache attributed to COVID-19 was manifested with a migraine-like clinic that lasted for 1-24 hours, was bilateral, throbbing, concentrated on the forehead, accompanied by photophobia and phonophobia, as well as gastrointestinal findings, and was often sensitive to NSAIDs. Our Study revealed that male cases diagnosed with COVID-19 with headache should be followed closely and the disease may have a poor prognosis, while female cases may have a higher viral load in the early stage due to low body temperature and frequent accompanying neurological findings. Our results indicated the need for further and larger-scale studies to evaluate the phenotype and evolutionary development of headache, as well as gender as a risk factor. Keywords: COVID-19, Headache, Biomarker