SARS-COV-2 - the pandemic of the XXI century, clinical manifestations - neurological implications

Abstract

In December 2019, in Wuhan, China, the first cases of infection with SARS-CoV 2 responsible for COVID-19 disease were identified. SARS-CoV 2 was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, and since then has attracted the medical world's attention. The threat to humans' health that this emerging pandemic could leave raises awareness on the importance of understanding the mechanisms that underlie the developing conditions. The epidemiology, clinical picture, and pathogenesis of COVID-19 show that this virus presents new strategies to overcome the past defensive medicine. While all the current data has focused on the pulmonary and cardiovascular manifestations, little has been written about the neurological implications of the disease. This review updates new clinical aspects that SARS-CoV 2 expresses in humans by focusing primarily on neurological manifestations. The damage to the nervous system became more apparent - anosmia, ageusia, polyneuritis, meningitis, meningoencephalitis, stroke, acute necrotizing encephalopathy. Oxygen therapy is vital for those in critical health situations. Finally, prevention is the most important element in breaking the epidemiological chain.

Keywords: CP – Convalescent Plasma; CQ – Chloroquine; CoV – Coronavirus; EMA – European Medicines Agency; HFNO – High-flow Nasal Oxygen; MERS – Middle East respiratory syndrome; R0 – Basic reproduction number; RBM – RNA binding motif; RT-PCR – Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction; SARS – Severe acute respiratory syndrome; coronavirus; neurological manifestations; pandemic.

Figure 1.

Evolution of the total number of cases registered worldwide until January 27, 2022. Source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/worldwide-graphs/

Figure 2.

Evolution of the total number of cases in Romania until February 24, 2022. Source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/romania/