Long Covid Patients May Develop Nerve Damage: Study
March 3, 2022 — Some patients with long COVID may have long-lasting nerve damage that could lead to fatigue, sensory changes, and pain in the hands and feet, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology: Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation.
The nerve damage, which has been seen even among mild coronavirus cases, appears to be caused by immunity problems triggered by infection.
âThis is one of the early papers looking into causes of long COVID, which will steadily increase in importance as acute COVID wanes,â Anne Louise Oaklander, MD, the lead study author and a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in a statement.
âOur findings suggest that some long COVID patients had damage to their peripheral nerve fibers and that damage to the small-fiber type of nerve cell may be prominent,â she said.
The research team analyzed data from 17 COVID-19 survivors with lingering symptoms who had no history or risks of neuropathy, or nerve damage or disease. The patients were from 10 states and territories, and all but one had mild infections.
They found that 10 patients — or 59% — had at least one test that confirmed neuropathy. Two patients had rare neuropathies that affected muscle nerves, and 10 were diagnosed with small-fiber neuropathy, which is a cause of chronic pain. Common symptoms included fatigue, weakness, changes in their senses, and pain in their hands and feet.
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Can People Have An Allergic Reaction To The Flu Shot
A flu immunization may produce an allergic reaction, but instances of this are very rare, and effective treatments can quickly resolve any trouble.
Most vaccines are developed from chicken eggs. The CDC cautions that people who have a history of a severe egg allergy should be vaccinated in a medical setting, supervised by a healthcare provider who is able to recognize and manage severe allergic reactions.
Two completely egg-free flu vaccine options are now widely available the quadrivalent recombinant vaccine and the quadrivalent cell-based vaccine.
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Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy
CIDP is another injury to the nervous system and has some similarities to the condition of GBS described above. Like GBS, CIDP occurs when the immune system causes a reaction that attacks the central nervous system. For this specific disease, the covering of the nerves is attacked, and the nerves will lose their protective sheath. It will also cause nerve damage that can result in weakness and paralysis. In extreme cases, CIPD can cause death by impacting the respiratory system.
Unlike GBS, CIPD does not necessarily have an underlying illness that ultimately causes this condition. However, with regard to the flu vaccine, there is the possibility that CIPD results because it is the bodys response to an invading organism. It is the flu vaccine that has introduced the virus into the body. In plainer terms, the body knows that it needs to fight something, but then it turns its attention to the wrong thing when it turns on its own nervous system.
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Getting The Help You Need After A Vaccine Injury
While a flu shot may cause paralysis, leading to high medical bills, you may be able to get the financial compensation that helps mitigate the healthcare costs you need to save your life and rebuild your health. The Vaccine Injury Compensation & Payouts Program is a streamlined federal program to aid those who have been harmed by the very vaccinations that are supposed to protect us. While the process is clear, an experienced Philadelphia injury attorney can help you file your claim and give you the best chance of getting the approval you need for a payout.
Our vaccine injury lawyers are ready to talk to you, and the initial consultation is free of charge. Your attorney will talk to you about your specific situation, your options moving forward, and if the VICP program is right for your case. Each step of the way theyll help you understand your rights, then fight for them as your claim works its way through the system. If youve suffered from paralysis after the flu shot, contact Anapol Weiss and start rebuilding your life today.
Intramuscular Injection Nerve Damage
Guinard v. Patient First Maryland Medical Group
This medical malpractice claim was filed in Baltimore City after a healthcare provider negligently administered an intramuscular injection, causing a woman permanent nerve damage in her leg and spine. It was filed in Health Claims Arbitration on and it is the 20th medical malpractice case filed in Maryland this year.
- Malpractice lawsuits against Patient First
Summary of Plaintiff’s Allegations
A 34-year-old woman presented to Patient First Bayview with complaints of intermittent headaches. Her physician decided to treat her with intramuscular injections – a shot of Demerol in her left hip and a shot of Phenergan in her right hip.
The woman screamed in pain when the needle was inserted into her right hip, and her right leg jerked and tensed up when the needle was withdrawn. The doctor assured her that she was reacting normally to the injection and the woman was discharged home without a proper assessment.
After experiencing pain shooting from her lower back into her right leg and numbness throughout the following day, the woman returned to Patient First. A healthcare provider met her in the reception area and suggested that her doctor had hit a nerve during the injection. The woman was told to take Motrin and apply a heat compress on the area of injection and her symptoms would go away within a day. She was never fully examined or evaluated during that follow-up visit.
Additional Comments Jurisdiction Negligence
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Disease Burden Associated With Guillain
As described above, GBS is an acute, immune-mediated paralytic disorder of the PNS. It is characterized by rapidly progressive, ascending, and symmetric weakness, with loss of deep tendon reflexes, possible tingling in the feet and hands, and muscle aches . Facial, oculomotor, oropharyngeal, and respiratory muscles may also be involved. Four different forms of the disease are recognized, distinguished in part by varying involvement of the motor and sensory nerve fibers .
The severity of clinical defects typically peaks within the first 2 weeks after onset, but some deficits may continue to progress for 3 to 4 weeks. In the most serious cases, estimated at 20 percent of the total , patients may require respiratory support. There is no known cure for GBS, but recovery can sometimes be aided by treatment, early in the course of the disease, with plasmapheresis or intravenous immunoglobulin. Most patients improve and return to normal functioning within 6 to 9 months, but some experience relapses or a prolonged disease course with residual neurological deficits, and death may occur.
People of all ages can develop GBS, although incidence appears to be higher among adults than among children. From 2 to 5 percent of cases are fatal, with most deaths occurring among patients who require mechanical ventilation . The average cost of medical care and lost productivity for GBS has been estimated at $470,000 per case .
Flu Vaccine Side Effects
Most people have no side effects from the flu vaccine, while some may experience adverse reactions such as infection at the injection site, shoulder stiffness and pain, numbness and tingling of their extremities, paralysis, and other autoimmune disease reactions. However, the flu vaccine has been reported to cause conditions such as:
- Optic neuritis / Multiple sclerosis
- Brachial neuritis
- Encephalopathy
- Cerebellar ataxia
This is not an exhaustive list of severe side effects that have been linked to the flu vaccine. Severe reactions to the flu vaccine must be taken seriously. If left untreated, it could lead to permanent injuries, especially to theshoulder, and in extreme cases, death.
Whether the flu vaccine is administered by injection or by nasal sprayand whether it includes live or inactive culturesthere remains a very small risk of severe injury. Because the flu virus regularly mutates, flu shots have to be regularly modified to keep up with the changing virus. This makes long-term analysis and review more difficult, which is why vaccines are constantly monitored and evaluated.
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Landmarking To Prevent Sirva And Other Injection Site Events
Proper landmarking includes determining the injection zone of the deltoid muscle, including the upper and lower borders of a safe injection area.4 This technique has been developed and recommended by content experts in order to avoid injury to the surrounding structures of the deltoid muscle. The upper border is found by measuring 2 to 3 finger widths from the acromion to ensure injection below the shoulder capsule.4 Two fingers are recommended for those with thicker fingers, and 3 fingers for those with slender fingers.4 The lower border is marked by the armpit to ensure the injection is not inserted below the deltoid.4 The thumb and forefinger are used to make a V to outline the deltoid muscle and keep the injection zone visible before using the needle to inject at a 90° angle.4
Should People Who Are Immunocompromised Get A Flu Shot
Another misconception is that individuals with chronic conditions who may be immunocompromised may have a worse reaction to the vaccine because they are more vulnerable. Health officials say this is not so.
When we say that the vaccine is universally recommended for ages 6 months and above, we mean it, says Dr. Conway. The only group that should absolutely not get it again would be somebody with a genuine allergic reaction to the vaccine obviously, they should avoid it.
Older people and people with underlying conditions should really even be higher priority than others to get the flu vaccine, says Dean Winslow, MD, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine in California.
The fact is, the flu can be much more disastrous for these high-risk populations.
People with asthma, heart disease, diabetes, and a number of other chronic health conditions are at a higher risk of developing serious flu complications that can result in hospitalization or even death, per the CDC.
Indeed, during recent flu seasons, 9 out of 10 people hospitalized with the flu had at least one underlying health condition, the agency notes.
Being pregnant also puts you at an increased risk of more severe illness from the flu. This is due to changes in the immune system, heart, and lungs that occur during pregnancy .
The flu vaccine offers protection against the flu to both the mother and the baby.
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Flu Vaccine Injury Statistics
While flu vaccines are generally regarded to be safe, there are reports of injuries every year from those who have experienced complications. Here are some statistics regarding flu vaccine injuries:
In general, there were 2,893 cases in which the VICP paid compensation to those who suffered injury from flu vaccines from the years 2006 to 2017. These numbers have increased since the VICP recognized SIRVA as a compensable injury. There were 166 total claims with the VICP that alleged death as the result of the flu vaccine.
Based on recent statistics, there are roughly 200 cases of SIRVA that have resulted in compensation paid from the VICP. Of course, these are just compensable cases, and the complication is not always reported so the actual rate may be higher.
When it comes to Guillan Barre Syndrome, there are no firm numbers, but the estimated rate of the side effect is one case of GBS for every million flu vaccines administered.
For anaphylaxis, there were 33 confirmed vaccine-triggered cases over a three-year period, although this study was not limited solely to flu vaccines. There have been 37 reported cases over a 40-year period that have resulted from vaccines.
Risks Of An Improperly Administered Vaccine
In most cases, vaccines are administered without problem. However, even when you don’t have sensitivities to a particular vaccine, you may develop problems if the vaccine was administered incorrectly. Whether due to stress, inexperience, or another factor, mistakes happen. But in the medical field, mistakes can lead to severe injuries and expensive damages.
To learn more, keep reading about the risks of improperly administered vaccines.
1. SIRVA
Shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration, or SIRVA, are caused when the needle causes more trauma than expected. Improper vaccine administration or an improper needle length can cause this condition. In SIRVA cases, the damage from the needed can lead to deltoid or shoulder bursitis, tendonitis, or a rotator cuff tear.
It’s common to experience some mild tenderness after a vaccine. However, with SIRVA, the pain is more intense. It usually appears about 48 hours after the vaccination and won’t go away. In some cases, the arm can still be sore months after the vaccine.
Besides causing damage to the soft tissue, an improperly administered vaccine can cause nerve inflammation or nerve injury. Nerve inflammation may go away after the area heals, but damage to a nerve could be a lifelong issue.
Treatment consists of managing the inflammation while the area heals. In severe cases, such as cases involving loss of range of motion or nerve damage, physiotherapy may also be necessary.
2. Infection
3. Wrong Vaccine
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Study Limitations And Future Research
Michael Lipton, MD, Ph.D., who is a professor of radiology and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and was not involved in the study, told MNT that due to the studys small size, it is not possible to understand the underlying mechanism and causes.
From what we have learned about COVID-19 neurological sequelae, likely mechanisms are related to inflammation and perhaps autoimmunity. These mechanisms would be consistent with the neuropathy found in this case series, he said.
The researchers conclude that their results provide a basis for larger investigations into neuropathy in those with long COVID.
They also note some limitations to their work, including referral biases and the small sample size. They add that the initial evaluations occurred at varying times during the course of illness and treatment, whereas longitudinal assessments at standardized intervals are ideal.
Jacqueline Becker, Ph.D., a clinical neuropsychologist and assistant professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York who was also not involved in the study shared her thoughts on the research with MNT.
What is particularly surprising about the findings from this study is that the majority of patients had mild acute COVID-19, whereas this may have been less surprising in a cohort with severe acute disease.
Dr. Becker
Helping You Get Compensation For Brachial Neuritis
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with brachial neuritis following a vaccination, our firm may be able to help you secure financial compensation from the government. Under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program , individuals who experience vaccine injury can seek compensation without the need to file or pursue traditional lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers or administrators.
Because the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program pays all legal fees related to your claim, working with the Center for Vaccine Shoulder Pain Recovery to obtain compensation for your brachial neuritis vaccine injury will come at no financial cost to you. To get started with a complimentary consultation, contact us today to speak with a qualified vaccine lawyer. Our staff is available to quickly evaluate your claim to help you determine if money may be available for you. Call us at 1-844-789-2047 now.
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Vaccine Side Effects & Injury Lawyers
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a vaccine side effect, you should contact a vaccine lawyer with experience in this type of complex litigation.
We have recently partnered with Schmidt & Clark, LLP a Nationally recognized law firm who handles vaccine lawsuits in all 50 states.
The lawyers at the firm offer a Free Confidential Case Evaluation and may be able to obtain financial compensation for you or a loved one by filing a vaccine lawsuit or claim with The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Contact Schmidt & Clark today by using the form below or by calling them directly at .
Influenza And Influenza Vaccines
Influenza
Influenza is an acute and highly contagious viral respiratory disease that occurs worldwide. Up to 20 percent of the population may be infected in a single year . Although some infections are subclinical, influenza is responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality. The elderly, young children, and persons with chronic cardiac or pulmonary diseases are generally at greatest risk for fatal complications . In the United States alone, the disease is now estimated to contribute to an average of 36,000 deaths each year, a toll that has risen as the population has aged .
The incidence of influenza peaks during the winter months in temperate zones, but infections occur year-round in the tropics . The extent and severity of influenza infections can vary widely from year to year. The disease frequently reaches epidemic levels and periodically becomes pandemic referring to high levels of infection worldwide that are not necessarily associated with an unusually severe form of the disease . The 19181919 pandemic, however, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 500,000 persons in the United States and 20 to 50 million persons worldwide, including large numbers of young adults .
Influenza Viruses
Characteristics of Subtypes of Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy AIDP is the predominant form of GBS in the United States and Europe, accounting for more than 90 percent of GBS cases. There
Multiple Sclerosis
Optic Neuritis
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The Charge To The Committee
Challenges to the safety of immunizations are prominent in public and scientific debate. Given these persistent and growing concerns about immunization safety, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health recognized the need for an independent, expert group to address immunization safety in a timely and objective manner. The IOM has been involved in such issues since the 1970s. In 1999, because of IOM’s previous work and its access to independent scientific experts, CDC and NIH began a year of discussions with IOM to develop the Immunization Safety Review project, which would address both emerging and existing vaccine safety issues.
The Immunization Safety Review Committee is responsible for examining a broad variety of immunization safety concerns. Committee members have expertise in pediatrics, neurology, immunology, internal medicine, infectious diseases, genetics, epidemiology, biostatistics, risk perception and communication, decision analysis, public health, nursing, and ethics. While all of the committee members share the view that immunization is generally beneficial, none of them has a vested interest in the specific immunization safety issues that come before the group. Additional discussion of the committee composition can be found in the Foreword, written by Dr. Harvey Fineberg, President of the IOM.
Committee charge.