Flu linked to more neurological diseases than COVID-19: Study

Patients had more neurological issues post-flu than COVID-19
Researchers examined six neurological disorders, including stroke, dementia
4.9% flu, 2.8% COVID patients developed disorder post-infection

Updated: Mar 22, 2024 / 09:45 AM CDT

Whether it’s COVID, the flu, RSV, or even the common cold, there are several reasons people feel like they are staying sicker longer this year, but it has nothing to do with the latest variants or strains, explained Amber D’Souza, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (Getty Images)

(NewsNation) — People with influenza, commonly known as the flu, are more likely to need care for neurological disorders within the subsequent year compared to those with a COVID-19 infection, according to a study.

The study, published in Neurology, analyzed medical claims data from patients of more than 77,000 hospitalized for COVID-19 vs the same number of patients hospitalized with flu. Researchers didn’t examine long COVID, the American Academy of Neurology wrote in a news release.

Researchers then observed how many patients were treated during the year after their diagnoses from six neurological disorders: migraine, epilepsy, stroke, neuropathy, movement disorders and dementia.

“While the results were not what we expected to find, they are reassuring in that we found being hospitalized with COVID did not lead to more care for common neurologic conditions when compared to being hospitalized with influenza,” said study co-author Dr. Brian C. Callaghan, who is a member of the American Academy of Neurology Health Services Research Subcommittee.

The study found that 3.2% of patients diagnosed with the flu and 2% with COVID-19 were treated for migraines. In comparison, 2.1% of flu patients and 1.6% of COVID patients were treated with epilepsy care.

Additionally, 2.4% of flu patients were treated for stroke, compared to 2% of COVID patients, while 2.3% of flu patients and 2% of COVID patients received care for dementia.

The study revealed that 2.8% of COVID patients developed a new neurologic condition the year after their illness, compared to 4.9% of flu patients.

Researchers noted that the data used in the study is “not a nationally representative sample,” so the results may not apply to all U.S. COVID-19 survivors.