Beyond Fever, Cough and Dyspnea: The Neurology of COVID-19

ABSTRACT

The pandemic due to Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV- 2) has rapidly engulfed the entire world, and continues to evolve at an aggressive pace. Although the characteristic concern in patients with COVID-19 is acute respiratory distress, there is meteoric accrual of data on neurological involvement. Neurological manifestations in COVID-19 have staggering diversity, ranging from mild olfactory and gustatory perception abnormalities to necrotising encephalopathy and stroke. Understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms underlying neurological invasion and disease is still nascent, and dictated largely by evidence from previous coronavirus infections which are known to have neuroinvasive potential. It has also been postulated that SARS CoV2 may affect the medullary respiratory centres in the brain stem thereby playing a possible role in causing neurogenic acute respiratory failure. Preliminary data suggest a role of immune hyperinflammation and hyperthrombosis mediating neurological features. Apart from acute neurological manifestations, immune dysregulation may contribute to para and post-infectious complications and potentially, neurodegenerative conditions. These concepts are paramount in developing therapeutic paradigms to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. In this review, we summarise putative pathophysiological underpinnings of neurological manifestations of COVID-19 and guidance for their management.