Abstract
Purpose of Review Neurologic complications are increasingly recognized in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. COVID-19 is caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This coronavirus is related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and other human coronavirus-related illnesses that are associated with neurologic symptoms. These symptoms raise the question of a neuroinvasive potential of SARS-CoV-2.
Recent Findings Potential neurologic symptoms and syndromes of SARS-CoV-2 include headache, fatigue, dizziness, anosmia, ageusia, anorexia, myalgias, meningoencephalitis, hemorrhage, altered consciousness, Guillain-Barré syndrome, syncope, seizure, and stroke. In addition, we discuss neurologic effects of other coronaviruses, special considerations for management of neurologic patients, and possible long-term neurologic and public health sequelae.
Summary As SARS-CoV-2 is projected to infect a large part of the world's population, understanding the potential neurologic implications of COVID-19 will help neurologists and others recognize and intervene in neurologic morbidity during and after the pandemic of 2020.
Footnotes
Funding information and disclosures are provided at the end of the article. Full disclosure form information provided by the authors is available with the full text of this article at Neurology.org/cp.
- Received April 16, 2020.
- Accepted June 12, 2020.
- © 2020 American Academy of Neurology
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