Cranial neuropathies and COVID-19

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began in late 2019. Like its predecessors, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), SARS-CoV-2 binds to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors to facilitate tissue invasion and potentially gain entry into the nervous system.(1) This single-stranded RNA virus shares 75%-80% identical genome sequence with MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, but has increased virulence, persistence, and lethality.(2) Amid catastrophic human suffering, severe neurologic complications of COVID-19 have been identified, yet subtle neurologic manifestations likely have been underreported.