Is facial nerve palsy an early manifestation of COVID-19? A literature review

Coronavirus Disease 2019-Associated Neurological Manifestations in Children: A Large Single-Center Experience With Rare Cases

“…Moreover, there are several studies suggesting the association of peripheral facial nerve palsy with SARS-CoV-2 infection, although clarifying this issue could only be possible with postmortem studies. 24 , 25 Two children were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2-related peripheral facial nerve palsy in our study. There are similar case reports of SARS-CoV-2-related peripheral facial nerve palsy in the pediatric age group.…”

Facial Nerve Palsy and the Eye: Etiology, Diagnosis, and Management

“…Recently, there has been a surge in reporting cases of FNP as an early or less commonly delayed clinical manifestation of COVID-19 infections, or following mRNA vaccinations for the SARS-CoV-2 virus 17–19 . Allegedly, the reported incidence of Bell’s palsy in patients receiving the mRNA vaccine is 3.5 to 7 times higher than expected in the general population, and the incidence is particularly high within the first month following the second dose 18,19 …”

Medical System to Evaluate the Seventh Cranial Nerve through the Main Facial Mimic Muscles

“…Nevertheless, a few authors have claimed that there is not enough evidence to establish a clear cause between the two conditions [21,52,56,57]. Other researchers compile the online databases about COVID-19 and facial palsy, and they concluded that COVID-19 increases the number of neurological deceases and pointed out that SARS-CoV-2 infection may be an underlying etiology in patients with COVID-19, and facial palsy can be the first COVID-19 manifestation [62,63].…”