Herpes Zoster Infection During Covid 19 Pandemic: a case- series study, Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract

Introduction: The risk of Covid 19 is still high in Iraq because of relatively low percent of population were vaccinated, and the non-stop periodic appearnce of SARS-Cov2 strains. The immuncompramized and elderly people have high risk to get Herpes zoster infection which could lead to irreversible complications if not treated well. Objectives: This studyaims to find the occurrence of Herpes zoster cases after recovery from Covid 19 infection, and to show the possible common factors between them. Methods: It is a case – series study that was carried out in a private clinic in Baghdad, Iraq for six months,  included cases of Herpes zoster that occurred after their recoveryfrom Covid 19 positive- PCR tests. Diagnosis, investigation, and treatment of them were done. Results: All the patients appeared to manifest the clinical fearures of Herpes zoster infection two to eight weeks  after their recovery from Covid 19.  All  of them had lymphopenia, half of them had mild increase in their erythrocyte sedementation rate, and quarter of them had mild anemia. Conclusions: Although the association between both diseases is not well known, the persisting Covid 19-realed lymphopoenia appeared to be likely a predisposing factor for a possible relation. So it is important to bring an attention on occurance of Herpes zoster after recovery from Covid 19, because the early diagnosis and treatment can prevent the complications of Herpes zoster, and to give vaicella zoster vaccin for risky patients  which could also prevent that infection and its complications.

Keywords:  Herpes zoster, Covid 19, Varicella zoster, Coronavirus pandemic