Abstract
IntroductionDuring the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, immune-mediated neurological events have been described in patients vaccinated against the virus or who have overcome the disease. Among these events is Idiopathic peripheral facial palsy or Bell’s palsy. ObjectivesTo study the incidence of Bell's Palsy in the ENT emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Catalonia during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. MethodsRetrospective historical cohort comparison study of patients diagnosed with Bell's palsy between January 2018 and December 2021. Crude incidence rates were calculated as the total number of events divided by person time at risk per 100.000 person-years. Observed (2020, 2021) and historical (2018, 2019) rates were compared using standardized incidence rates with corresponding 95% confidence intervals. ResultsOf the total number of ENT emergency department visits from 2018 to 2021 (22.658), there were 247 cases of Bell's palsy. The incidence rate of Bell's palsy in the pre-pandemic group was 12,2 and 10,9 per 100.000 person-years for 2018 and 2019, respectively. The 2020 standardized incidence rate of Bell's palsy was 0,70 [95% CI 0,49–1,01] and 1,25 [95% CI 0,93–1,67] for 2021. No significant differences were evident between the two groups. ConclusionIn our cohort, no association was found between vaccination or COVID-19 infection and the development of Bell's Palsy.
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