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This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to describe the characteristics of the early literature and estimate point prevalence for neurological and neuropsychiatric manifestations of infection with SARS-CoV-2. 13,292 records were screened to identify 215 included studies from 30 countries. Neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms of COVID-19 in the pandemic’s early phase are varied and common. Symptoms with the highest prevalence were anosmia, weakness, fatigue, dysgeusia, myalgia, depression, headache, anxiety and altered mental status. Heterogeneity for most clinical manifestations was high.
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Low back pain is common among patients presenting to hospital emergency departments. The efficacy of standard pharmaceutical interventions is poor. Researchers from Austin Hospital in Melbourne investigated the effects of cannabidiol (CBD), which has known anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. 100 patients who presented with acute, non-traumatic low back pain from May 2018—Jun 2019 were randomised to receive either 400 mg CBD or placebo, in addition to standard ED analgesic medication. The results indicated that CBD does not reduce pain or hospital length of stay.
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Read editorial from local authors: Lack of efficacy of cannabidiol for relieving back pain: time to re-set expectations?

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine geographical, age, and gender related differences in the prevalence of comorbidities and associated severity and mortality rates among COVID-19 patients. Of 120 studies with 125,446 patients, the most prevalent comorbidities were hypertension (32%), obesity (25%), diabetes (18%) and cardiovascular disease (16%). Chronic kidney or other renal diseases (51%), cerebrovascular accident (43%), and cardiovascular disease (44%) patients had more COVID-19 severity and mortality respectively. Considerable variation in the prevalence of comorbidities and associated disease severity and mortality in different geographic regions was observed.
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This guidance document was co-produced by a multi-professional group including clinicians, nurses, academics, and a member of the public. It provides current evidence regarding routes of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and offers recommendations to assist frontline health professionals and managers.
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