Telogen effluvium and alopecia areata: Associated symptoms in patients with long COVID-19

Abstract

Background: SARS-CoV-2 mainly attacks the respiratory system, but as more has become known about the virus, other organs have also been affected. As time passes, new symptoms emerge, no longer in the water phase, now in the recovery stage in what has been called long COVID or persistent COVID. Objective: To communicate one more of the symptoms of patients with long COVID- 19. Materials and Methods: A case series study was done from October 1st2020 to March 31st2021 at Neumology consultation of a private medical center at Chiapas, Mexico, including patients that had recurrently reported hair loss of unexplained cause after the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: Information was collected from 28 patients, 16 men and 12 women, the hair loss began one month after the infection and in 5/28 it persisted for more than 6 months. Conclusions: Having a series of cases where all have in common having been infected by SARS-CoV-2, the association is impossible, so these alterations of the hair follicle can be caused by SARS-CoV-2 and should be included to the long list of symptoms that occur in this entity.