There are also very rare reports of conditions that develop after SARS-CoV-2 infection, as they sometimes do with other types of infections. Muscular weakness, nerve injury, and pain syndromes are common in people who require intensive care during infections. Although rare, COVID-19 can cause seizures or major strokes. Some people with COVID-19 either initially have, or develop in the hospital, a dramatic state of confusion called delirium. However, most individuals hospitalized due to the virus do have symptoms related to the brain or nervous system, most commonly including muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, and altered taste and smell.

Most people infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus will have no or mild to moderate symptoms associated with the brain or nervous system. What are the immediate (acute) effects of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 on the brain? It is unknown if injury to the nervous system or other body organs cause lingering effects that will resolve over time, or whether COVID-19 infection sets up a more persistent or even chronic disorder. Research is just beginning to focus on the role of autoimmune reactions and other changes that cause the set of symptoms that some people experience after their initial recovery. Scientists are still learning how the virus affects the brain and other organs in the long-term. Although still under intense investigation, there is no evidence of widespread viral infection in the brain. This includes the presence of antibodies-proteins made by the immune system to fight the virus-that may also react with the nervous system. Changes in the immune system have been seen in studies of the cerebrospinal fluid, which bathes the brain, in people who have been infected by SARS-CoV-2.

In some people, the SARS-CoV-2 infection causes an overreactive response of the immune system which can also damage body systems. Research shows the many neurological symptoms of COVID-19 are likely a result of the body’s widespread immune response to infection rather than the virus directly infecting the brain or nervous system. These strategies have included preventing infection with vaccines, treating COVID-19 symptoms with medicines or antibodies, and reducing complications in infected individuals. Much of the research to date has focused on the acute infection and saving lives. What do we know about the effects of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 on the nervous system?

When severe, this impairs the body’s ability to maintain critical levels of oxygen in the blood stream-which can cause multiple body systems to fail and can be fatal. It is most dangerous when the virus spreads from the upper respiratory tract into the lungs to cause viral pneumonia and lung damage leading to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

However, a new coronavirus called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged and spread to cause the COVID-19 pandemic.ĬOVID-19, which means Coronavirus disease 2019, is an infectious disease that can affect people of all ages in many ways. Coronaviruses are common causes of usually mild to moderate upper respiratory tract illnesses like the common cold, with symptoms that may include runny nose, fever, sore throat, cough, or a general feeling of being ill.

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