COVID-19 virus may have neuroinvasive potential and cause neurological complications: a perspective review

• Published in: Journal of NeuroVirology Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 324 - 329
• Main Authors: Sepehrinezhad, Ali, Shahbazi, Ali, Negah, Sajad Sahab
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.06.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Ataxia - complications; Ataxia - diagnosis; Ataxia - epidemiology; Ataxia - virology; Betacoronavirus - drug effects; Betacoronavirus - immunology; Betacoronavirus - pathogenicity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Blood-Brain Barrier - pathology; Blood-Brain Barrier - virology; Brain Edema - complications; Brain Edema - diagnosis; Brain Edema - epidemiology; Brain Edema - virology; Central Nervous System - pathology; Central Nervous System - virology; Coronavirus Infections - complications; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - transmission; COVID-19; Encephalitis, Viral - complications; Encephalitis, Viral - diagnosis; Encephalitis, Viral - epidemiology; Encephalitis, Viral - virology; Epilepsy - complications; Epilepsy - diagnosis; Epilepsy - epidemiology; Epilepsy - virology; Humans; Immunology; Infectious Diseases; Multiple Sclerosis - complications; Multiple Sclerosis - diagnosis; Multiple Sclerosis - epidemiology; Multiple Sclerosis - virology; Neurology; Neurosciences; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - complications; Pneumonia, Viral - diagnosis; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Pneumonia, Viral - transmission; Prevalence; Review; SARS-CoV-2; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - complications; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - diagnosis; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - epidemiology; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - transmission; Virology; COVID-19; Neuroinvasion; Nervous system; Transmission routes; Coronavirus
• ISSN: 1355-0284; 1538-2443
• DOI: 10.1007/s13365-020-00851-2

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported at the end of 2019 in China for the first time and has rapidly spread throughout the world as a pandemic. Since COVID-19 causes mild to severe acute respiratory syndrome, most studies in this field have only focused on different aspects of pathogenesis in the respiratory system. However, evidence suggests that COVID-19 may affect the central nervous system (CNS). Given the outbreak of COVID-19, it seems necessary to perform investigations on the possible neurological complications in patients who suffered from COVID-19. Here, we reviewed the evidence of the neuroinvasive potential of coronaviruses and discussed the possible pathogenic processes in CNS infection by COVID-19 to provide a precise insight for future studies.