Immunopathology of SARS-COV-2 and Neurological Manifestations Caused by the Virus: A Review of the Literature

SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), or the disease caused by the new coronavirus, the source of COVID-19, has rapidly turned into a pandemic, a danger with an impact on human health.

Various neurological manifestations associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection have been reported in the literature and are currently classified into central nervous system-related (headache, dizziness, cerebrovascular disease, epilepsy) and peripheral nervous system-related (anosmia, ageusia, muscle pain, Guillain-Barré syndrome). However, it remains difficult to establish a link between these neurological manifestations and the underlying mechanisms.

In the current context, physicians need to be aware of the broad spectrum of neurological symptoms associated with infection with this virus for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

In this review, we aim to highlight the pathways of SARS-CoV-2 virus invasion, the neurotropism of the virus and the immunopathological mechanisms underlying the neurological manifestations associated with COVID-19 disease.