Background Series of patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection report headache in 6%‐15% of cases, although some data suggest that the actual frequency is higher, and that headache is not associated with fever. No study published to date has analyzed the characteristics of headache in these patients. Objective To analyze the characteristics of COVID‐19 related headaches. Methods We conducted a survey of Spaniard healthcare professionals who have been infected by SARS‐CoV‐2 and presented headache during the course of the disease. The survey addressed respondents’ medical history and headache characteristics, and we analyzed the association between both. Results We analyzed the responses of a sample of 112 healthcare professionals. History of migraine was reported by 20/112 (17.9%) of respondents, history of tension‐type headache by 8/112 (7.1%), and history of cluster headache was reported by a single respondent; 82/112(73.2%) of respondents had no history of headache. Headache presented independently of fever, around the third day after symptom onset. The previous history of migraine was associated with a higher frequency of pulsating headache (20% in patients with previous migraine vs 4.3% in those with no history of migraine, P = .013). Conclusion Headache is often holocranial, hemicranial, or occipital, pressing, and worsens with physical activity or head movements. Because the characteristics of the headache and the associated symptoms are heterogeneous in our survey, we suggest that several patterns with specific pathophysiological mechanisms may underlie the headache associated with COVID‐19.

Background Headache is a frequent symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Its long-term evolution remains unknown. We aim to evaluate the long-term duration of headache in patients that presented headache during the acute phase of COVID-19. Methods This is a post-hoc multicenter ambisective study including patients from six different third-level hospitals between 1 March and 27 April 2020. Patients completed 9 months of neurological follow-up. Results We included 905 patients. Their median age was 51 (IQR 45–65), 66.5% were female, and 52.7% had a prior history of primary headache. The median duration of headache was 14 (6–39) days; however, the headache persisted after 3 months in 19.0% (95% CI: 16.5–21.8%) and after 9 months in 16.0% (95% confidence interval: 13.7–18.7%). Headache intensity during the acute phase was associated with a more prolonged duration of headache (Hazard ratio 0.655; 95% confidence interval: 0.582–0.737). Conclusion The median duration of headache was 2 weeks, but in approximately a fifth of patients it became persistent and followed a chronic daily pattern.