Myasthenia gravis followed SARS-CoV-2 infection in three patients in Italy, researchers report.

Neurological symptoms in patients with COVID-19 have commonly been attributed to viral infection of nerve cells, but could potentially be caused by myasthenia gravis, Dr Domenico Restivo of Garibaldi Hospital, in Catania, and colleagues, suggest in Annals of Internal Medicine.

“The association between COVID-19 infection and myasthenia gravis has not been reported before. For this reason, I think this finding is important,” Dr Restivo said.

He and his coauthors note that none of their patients had previous neurological or autoimmune disorders.