Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a potentially severe acute respiratory infection
caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This outbreak,
which emerged in Wuhan city, rapidly spread throughout China and has now become a
global public health concern. SARS-CoV-2 is a highly pathogenic and transmissible
virus. Common clinical manifestations of COVID-19 include fever, dry cough, shortness
of breath, muscle ache, headache, and confusion. Currently, there is no confirmed
effective therapeutic strategy for COVID-19 because the pathological mechanism is
poorly understood. In addition to the respiratory system involvement, recent evidence
has shown that SARS-CoV-2 can affect other organ systems including nervous, vascular,
digestive, and urinary system. Various neurological complications have also been described
in various studies. Nervous system involvement in the case of SARS-CoV-2 is explained
by direct neuro invasion, immune mechanism, and other systemic factors. Neurological
complications due to SARS-CoV-2 include both central and peripheral nervous system
involvement. Central nervous system complications range from mild headache to seizures,
encephalitis, myelitis, and acute cerebrovascular accidents. Peripheral nervous system
complications range from vague muscle pains to Guillain–Barré syndrome. This article
briefly discusses the various neurological and mental health issues related to COVID-19.
Keywords
neurological - pandemic - COVID-19
