Ultrastuctural morphology of the SARS-CoV-2. Credit: CDC/ Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAMS
SARS-CoV-2 was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and has been spreading massively throughout the world ever since.
By May 2020, there were more than 6 million confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and more than 500,000 deaths in more than 150 countries. COVID-19 typically causes fever, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, and in extreme cases, may cause multiple organ failure and eventually death. However, there have also been reports that SARS-CoV-2 can also infect the nervous system.
In a study published in BJBMS, a group of researchers from Malaysia did a comprehensive literature review that aimed to elucidate the nervous system involvement in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Based on this study, the researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 infection can present with neurological symptoms along with or independent of respiratory symptoms. This involvement can be explained by multiple possible pathophysiological mechanisms that are also discussed in their article.
The authors hope that their article will raise awareness among clinicians around the world regarding the importance of evaluating all COVID-19 patients for neurological symptoms and to rule out SARS-COV-2 infection in any patient presenting with unusual neurological symptoms.
More information: Alvin Oliver Payus et al. SARS-CoV-2 infection of the nervous system: A review of the literature on neurological involvement in novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences (2020). DOI: 10.17305/bjbms.2020.4860
Provided by Association of Basic Medical Sciences of FBIH
