21 Oct 2023 • Having a COVID-19 infection is associated with an increased risk of developing Guillain-Barré syndrome within the next six weeks, according to a study published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Conversely, mRNA vaccination was associated with a decreased risk of this rare but serious autoimmune condition.

• The study included over 3 million patients aged 16 and above, without a prior GBS diagnosis, who were followed from January 2021 to June 2022. Among the 76 GBS cases identified during this period, 11.8% had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, while only 2.4% of the 760 matched controls had the infection. Researchers determined that people with a recent COVID infection were six times more likely to develop Guillain-Barré than those without a recent infection. The average age of GBS patients was 56.3 years, with an equal number of men and women.

They also found that people with a recent mRNA vaccination were more than 50% less likely to develop Guillain-Barré than those without a recent mRNA vaccination. Statistical analysis revealed that the odds of GBS following Covid-19 infection were 6.30 times higher, whereas the odds of GBS following Covid-19 vaccination were 0.41, indicating a lower risk.

Source: American Academy of Neurology | Read full story