Virtual Issue: COVID‐19 and headache

Abstract

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) has been responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic for over a year now. Though primarily a respiratory infection, SARS-CoV2 has demonstrated neurotropism centrally and peripherally, often with persisting neurologic symptoms beyond resolution of systemic symptoms like dyspnea and fever. Headache can broadly be associated with COVID-19 infection with overall prevalence ranging widely, encompassing both secondary and primary headache disorders (Table 1). There has been robust COVID-19 literature this past year, including numerous studies published in Headache. Several plausible mechanisms for COVID-19associated headache have been postulated, namely via ACE2 hostreceptor cellular entry with subsequent role in trigeminovascular activation, direct viral invasion, and cytokine release syndrome. 1 Though the exact phenotype of headache directly attributed to COVID-19 infection remains without specificity, we know it is often an early symptom, persistent, even isolated, and may not reliably correlate with COVID-19 disease severity. 2 People both with and without pre-existing headache disorders have experienced headache associated with COVID-19. 3 Frontline workers, and now the general population, wearing personal pro-GUEST EDITORIAL

Headache onset after vaccination against SARS-CoV-2: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis

“…Primary headache associated with COVID-19 infection can be a consequence of increased stress related to infection or post-traumatic stress disorder related to COVID-19, which may be a trigger for headache or de novo headache related to infection (new daily persistent headache). Secondary headache can be associated with cytokine release syndrome, systemic viral infection and other causes related to direct COVID-19 infection either vascular or non-vascular [135].…”