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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects primarily the respiratory system but neurologic manifestations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are possible. Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) has recently been considered as a specific biomarker to quantitate neuro-axonal damage. Concentrations of sNfL were determined in a prospective cohort study of 100 health care workers (84 females, 16 males) following a COVID-19 outbreak in a large hospital by using the single molecule array (Simoa) NF-light advantage kit. Twenty eight health care workers contracted mild-to-moderate COVID-19, recovered after 1-3 weeks without hospitalization and showed no or only minor neurological symptoms such as anosmia, fatigue or headache. sNfL levels were consistently higher in older persons and multivariable linear regression analysis revealed COVID-19 status as an independent predictor of sNfL (p=.005). In conclusion, increased sNfL levels in mild-to-moderate COVID-19 patients points towards a more general neuro-destructive capability of SARS-CoV-2.

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pLT is a highly standardized therapy for children with end‐stage liver disease and liver‐based metabolic diseases. However, NCs after transplantation occur and especially younger children are considered as more vulnerable and susceptible to NCs. Up to now, detailed data particularly for the very young age group do not exist. We therefore retrospectively studied NCs in children after pLT under age of 24 months. Forty children aged between 19 days and 22 months were evaluated according to type of NC and potential risk factors. NCs occurred in 8/40 patients (20%). All experienced new‐onset seizures and in 1/6 surviving patients, seizures evolved into epilepsy. Other NCs were intracerebral abscess (1/8 patients) and subdural hemorrhage (1/8 patients). The overall 3‐year mortality rate was 10% (4/40 patients). Significant risk factors for NCs and therefore seizures were HAT (P = 0.020), total surgery time (P = 0.009), retransplantation (P < 0.001), period of catecholamine therapy (P = 0.024), period of mechanical ventilation (P = 0.014), and period of sedation (P = 0.010). Our study is the first to provide detailed information on NCs after pLT in children under 24 months of age. The incidence of NCs in this particular group of very young patients was not increased compared to previously published data of children of all ages. Main NC was new‐onset seizure. In the surviving infants, prognosis of seizure was excellent and the risk of developing epilepsy was low. Even more, the occurrence of NCs did not significantly affect mortality or survival in this particular age group.

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