Neurological manifestations and complications of COVID-19. A literature review

<p><strong>Introduction. </strong>The first case of SARS-CoV-2 infection was identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The disease spread rapidly worldwide and the WHO declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated primari...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Aleksandra Maria Krasa, Magdalena Kozioł, Halina Piecewicz-Szczęsna, Anna Łopuszyńska, Ewa Piekarska, Piotr Więsyk, Mateusz Pawlicki
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Kazimierz Wielki University 2021-08-01
Series:Journal of Education, Health and Sport
Subjects:
Online Access:https://apcz.umk.pl/czasopisma/index.php/JEHS/article/view/35076
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Summary:<p><strong>Introduction. </strong>The first case of SARS-CoV-2 infection was identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The disease spread rapidly worldwide and the WHO declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated primarily with respiratory disorders, more and more research is focusing on neurological manifestations and complications.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Objective. </strong>The aim of the review is to systematize and update the knowledge and available research on neurological complications among COVID-19 patients.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Review methods. </strong>A systematic search of PubMed and Google Scholar databases was conducted for studies. The following keywords combinations were used: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 infection, neurological complications, neurological manifestations, neuroinvasion, neurovirulence.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Results. </strong>The disease in most patients is characterized by mild to medium fever, fatigue, dry cough, dyspnea, muscle pain and headache. ACE2, which is the receptor for SARS-COV-2, is ubiquitously expressed in a variety of human organs, including the brain. Following previous reports, these receptors are expressed in both glial cells and neurons. Many studies have reported neurological symptoms and complications among  COVID-19 patients. The reported manifestations include: smell and taste disturbance, non-specific symptoms such as myalgia, headache and dizziness, acute cerebrovascular complications, encephalopathy, meningoencephalitis/encephalitis, seizure and complications of the peripheral nervous system.</p><p><strong>Conclusion.</strong> Healthcare professionals dealing with COVID-19, neuroscientists, and the general public should be aware of the neurological complications of COVID-19. Further studies are needed to assess the incidence of COVID-19 neurological complications in different populations and  more analyzes are also required to understand the detailed mechanism of how the virus affects the nervous system.</p>
ISSN:2391-8306