Clinical Conundrum: Dysphagia in a Patient with COVID-19 and Progressive Muscle Weakness

A 58-year-old woman with a history of diabetes presented to an acute care hospital with 6 weeks of shortness of breath, cough, and fatigue as well as a 2-week history of sudden onset of slurred speech, left upper extremity weakness, nausea/vomiting, and difculty with ambulation. Workup was consistent with COVID-19 pneumonia and hypoxic respiratory failure. Upon admission, she required supplemental oxygen via facemask and nasal cannula, with advancement to room air. A CT of the head was unremarkable and the patient’s neurological exam was largely non-focal.