Abstract

ESCOBAR PEREZ, Laura; MARTINEZ DEL SOBRAL SINITSYNA, Sandra; RIO QUINONES, Manuel Alejandro del  and  VACA DOMINGUEZ, Luis. Nervous system infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Rev. Fac. Med. (Méx.) [online]. 2021, vol.64, n.4, pp.7-24.  Epub Oct 25, 2021. ISSN 2448-4865.  https://doi.org/10.22201/fm.24484865e.2021.64.4.02.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome is caused by SARS-CoV coronaviruses. SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 bind to angiotensin receptor 2 (ECA2), which is located in the epithelial tissue and vascular endothelium of the human body. The devastating effects of COVID-19 affect the blood vessels, lung, brain, gastrointestinal tract, kidney, heart and liver. Thromboembolism, intravascular coagulation, heart damage and multiple organ failure are complications that appear directly or indirectly with COVID-19. Like other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 provokes neurological manifestations. The olfactory epithelium is the main route of access to the body for SARS-CoV-2 and causes smell and taste loss. A SARS-CoV-2 infection does not lead to rhinorrhea or nasal congestion, unlike endemic coronavirus. The nervous symptoms of COVID-19 are varied and include headache, dizziness, acute cerebrovascular disease, epilepsy, psychiatric disorders, encephalitis, neuropathy, embolism and manifestations associated with the peripheral nervous system such as hyposmia/anosmia, hypoageusia/ageusia, muscle pain, demyelination and Guilliam-Barre syndrome, among others. Currently, no definitive answers have been found to explain the broad spectrum of effects of SARS- CoV-2 on the nervous system. This review addresses the main pathophysiological mechanisms that have been proposed in order to better understand the causes of short and long term of the neurological manifestations of COVID-19.

Keywords : Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; angiotensin receptor 2; nervous system; inflammation.

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