Bell’s palsy and urticarial rash as fi rst manifestations of COVID-19 infection

Abstract

The new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is a single-stranded RNA virus of the Coronaviridae family and is clinically manifest with respiratory symptoms. However, patients have been described with symptoms and complications from the nervous system, as well as skin manifestations in the form of various rashes. In our clinical case of coronavirus infection (SARS-CoV-2), this is pneumonia with respiratory failure of the 1st degree, moderate severity and Bell’s palsy in combination with skin rashes in the form of an urticarial rash in a 58-year-old woman. Clinical features of cutaneous and neurological symptoms were prior to the development of respiratory symptoms. The presented clinical case showed that COVID-19, before the development of respiratory symptoms, can manifest itself with peripheral paralysis of the facial nerve and be combined with skin rashes, which can complicate the timely diagnosis of a viral disease.