Knowledge of neurological symptom of covid-19 among general population in Al Qassim region: A cross- sectional study

Background: The neurological involvement of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been reported in studies and its effect on the respiratory system. This study intended to assess the knowledge of neurological symptoms of COVID-19 among the Al'Qassim population, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 529 Al'Qassim residents through an online survey. A COVID-19 online questionnaires was distributed via various messenger groups and social media. The questionnaire comprised of three sections to collect data regarding demographics, self-reported knowledge of neurologic symptoms, and neurological symptoms of COVID-19 for those who contracted COVID-19. For quantitative variables, mean and standard deviation were used, whereas for categorical variables, frequency and proportion were used. Results: Among the study population, the majority (35.34%) were aged between 18 to 24 years, and females (70.32%) outnumbered males (29.68%). The majority of the participants had acceptable (41.78%) knowledge of neurologic symptoms. The self-reported prevalence of COVID-19 among the respondents was 19.66%. Conclusion: Most respondents showed an acceptable to excellent knowledge of neurologic symptoms of COVID-19. However, this study found that females and younger age groups had better knowledge even though there was no statistical significance. Hence, health education intervention must be conducted targeting the vulnerable population to raise awareness of the disease's neurologic symptoms for early identification and prompt treatment.