<p>People hospitalised with Covid-19 and neurological problems including stroke and confusion, have a higher risk of dying than other patients infected with the novel coronavirus, according to a new study.</p>.<p>The research, published in the journal Neurology -- the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology -- assessed data from 4,711 Covid-19 patients who were admitted to the Montefiore Medical Center in the US during the six-week period between March 1, 2020 and April 16, 2020.</p>.<p>According to the scientists, including those from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the US, 581 of the 4,711 patients had neurological problems serious enough to warrant brain imaging.</p>.<p>They compared these individuals with 1,743 non-neurological Covid-19 patients of similar age and disease severity who were admitted during the same period.</p>.<p>"This study is the first to show that the presence of neurological symptoms, particularly stroke and confused or altered thinking, may indicate a more serious course of illness, even when pulmonary problems aren't severe," said David Altschul, a co-author of the study from Albert Einstein College of Medicine.</p>.<p>"Hospitals can use this knowledge to prioritise treatment and, hopefully, save more lives during this pandemic," Altschul said.</p>.<p>The researchers believe the findings have the potential to identify and focus treatment efforts on individuals most at risk, and could decrease Covid-19 deaths.</p>.<p>In the study, they said 55 participants were diagnosed with stroke and 258 people exhibited confusion or altered thinking ability.</p>.<p>According to the scientists, individuals with stroke were twice as likely to die (49 per cent mortality) compared with their matched controls (24 per cent mortality) -- a statistically significant difference.</p>.<p>They said people with confusion had a 40 per cent mortality rate compared with 33 per cent for their matched controls.</p>.<p>Over 50 per cent of the stroke patients in the study did not have hypertension or any other risk factors for stroke.</p>.<p>"This highly unusual finding agrees with other studies of people with Covid-19 in suggesting that infection with the novel coronavirus is itself a risk factor for stroke," Altschul said.</p>
<p>People hospitalised with Covid-19 and neurological problems including stroke and confusion, have a higher risk of dying than other patients infected with the novel coronavirus, according to a new study.</p>.<p>The research, published in the journal Neurology -- the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology -- assessed data from 4,711 Covid-19 patients who were admitted to the Montefiore Medical Center in the US during the six-week period between March 1, 2020 and April 16, 2020.</p>.<p>According to the scientists, including those from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the US, 581 of the 4,711 patients had neurological problems serious enough to warrant brain imaging.</p>.<p>They compared these individuals with 1,743 non-neurological Covid-19 patients of similar age and disease severity who were admitted during the same period.</p>.<p>"This study is the first to show that the presence of neurological symptoms, particularly stroke and confused or altered thinking, may indicate a more serious course of illness, even when pulmonary problems aren't severe," said David Altschul, a co-author of the study from Albert Einstein College of Medicine.</p>.<p>"Hospitals can use this knowledge to prioritise treatment and, hopefully, save more lives during this pandemic," Altschul said.</p>.<p>The researchers believe the findings have the potential to identify and focus treatment efforts on individuals most at risk, and could decrease Covid-19 deaths.</p>.<p>In the study, they said 55 participants were diagnosed with stroke and 258 people exhibited confusion or altered thinking ability.</p>.<p>According to the scientists, individuals with stroke were twice as likely to die (49 per cent mortality) compared with their matched controls (24 per cent mortality) -- a statistically significant difference.</p>.<p>They said people with confusion had a 40 per cent mortality rate compared with 33 per cent for their matched controls.</p>.<p>Over 50 per cent of the stroke patients in the study did not have hypertension or any other risk factors for stroke.</p>.<p>"This highly unusual finding agrees with other studies of people with Covid-19 in suggesting that infection with the novel coronavirus is itself a risk factor for stroke," Altschul said.</p>