COVID-19 infection and stroke risk

Rev Neurosci. 2020 Dec 24;32(3):341-349. doi: 10.1515/revneuro-2020-0066. Print 2021 Apr 27.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in Wuhan city, China in December 2019 and rapidly spread to other countries. The most common reported symptoms are fever, dry cough, myalgia and fatigue, headache, anorexia, and breathlessness. Anosmia and dysgeusia as well as gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea and diarrhea are other notable symptoms. This virus also can exhibit neurotropic properties and may also cause neurological diseases, including epileptic seizures, cerebrovascular accident, Guillian barre syndrome, acute transverse myelitis, and acute encephalitis. In this study, we discuss stroke as a complication of the new coronavirus and its possible mechanisms of damage.

Keywords: COVID-19; nervous system; neurological symptoms; stroke.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 / metabolism
  • Blood Viscosity
  • COVID-19 / blood
  • COVID-19 / complications
  • COVID-19 / metabolism
  • COVID-19 / physiopathology*
  • Endothelium, Vascular / physiopathology*
  • Humans
  • Hypoxia / complications
  • Hypoxia / physiopathology*
  • Myocarditis / complications
  • Myocarditis / physiopathology
  • Renin-Angiotensin System
  • Risk
  • SARS-CoV-2 / metabolism
  • Stroke / blood
  • Stroke / etiology
  • Stroke / metabolism
  • Stroke / physiopathology*
  • Thrombophilia / blood
  • Thrombophilia / etiology
  • Thrombophilia / physiopathology*

Substances

  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2