The distribution of acquired peripheral nerve injuries associated with severe COVID-19 implicate a mechanism of entrapment neuropathy: a multicenter case series and clinical feasibility study of a wearable, wireless pressure sensor.

We diagnosed 66 peripheral nerve injuries in 34 patients who survived severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We combine this new data with published case series re-analyzed here (117 nerve injuries; 58 patients) to provide a comprehensive accounting of lesion sites. The most common are ulnar (25.1%), common fibular (15.8%), sciatic (13.1%), median (9.8%), brachial plexus (8.7%) and radial (8.2%) nerves at sites known to be vulnerable to mechanical loading. Protection of peripheral nerves should be prioritized in the care of COVID-19 patients. To this end, we report proof of concept data of the feasibility for a wearable, wireless pressure sensor to provide real time monitoring in the intensive care unit setting.

Diaphragm dysfunction in severe COVID-19 as determined by neuromuscular ultrasound.

Many survivors from severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) suffer from persistent dyspnea and fatigue long after resolution of the active infection. In a cohort of 21 consecutive severe post-COVID-19 survivors admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital, 16 (76%) of them had at least one sonographic abnormality of diaphragm muscle structure or function. This corresponded to a significant reduction in diaphragm muscle contractility as represented by thickening ratio (muscle thickness at maximal inspiration/end-expiration) for the post-COVID-19 compared to non-COVID-19 cohorts. These findings may shed new light on neuromuscular respiratory dysfunction as a contributor to prolonged functional impairments after hospitalization for post-COVID-19.