SARS‐CoV‐2 causes a highly contagious respiratory disease referred to as COVID‐19. There is evidence that indicates that a small but growing number of COVID‐19 patients also manifest neurological symptoms. This is because the studies are suggesting that SARS‐CoV‐2 may infect the nervous system under some circumstances.
SARS‐CoV‐2 enters the body through the epithelial lining of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. Under certain conditions, this pleiotropic virus may also infect peripheral nerves and gain entry into the CNS. Various anatomical and physiological barriers naturally guard the brain. The brain’s most vital defense system is the BBB, which functions to prevent harmful substances, including pathogens and pro‐inflammatory mediators, from entering the mind.
Potential routes of viral entry and the possible mechanisms utilized by SARS‐CoV‐2 to penetrate the CNS, either by disrupting the BBB or infecting the peripheral nerves and using the neuronal network to initiate neuroinflammation, are briefly discussed in this review.
The study concluded through its findings that although the mechanisms of SARS‐CoV‐2 entry into the CNS and neurovirulence are currently unknown, the potential pathways described here might pave the way for future research in this area and enable the development of better therapeutic strategies.
Reference: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ene.14442
