key: cord-0780419-g3jmih5x
authors: Yin, Rong; Feng, Wei; Wang, Tonghui; Chen, Gang; Wu, Tao; Chen, Dongrui; Lv, Tangfeng; Xiang, Dawei
title: Concomitant neurological symptoms observed in a patient diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019
date: 2020-04-15
journal: J Med Virol
DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25888
sha: c74f03de402b0e16b49019520a3294ec7b88dc44
doc_id: 780419
cord_uid: g3jmih5x

There has been a global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) since December 2019. In clinical practice, not only fever and respiratory tract symptoms but also multiple organ symptoms are observed in patients diagnosed with COVID‐19. Herein, we report a rare case of a patient diagnosed with COVID‐19 who manifested with concomitant neurological symptoms. The patient developed fever and respiratory symptoms at disease onset, followed by muscle soreness, and subsequently altered consciousness and psychiatric symptoms, with positive signs based on neurological examination. The patient tested positive for the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) nucleic acid (throat swab). Further, chest computed tomography (CT) revealed typical COVID‐19 findings, and head CT did not reveal significant abnormalities. The patient recovered after treatment and was discharged. This rare case indicates that SARS‐CoV‐2 can invade the central nervous system, thus causing neurological symptoms and signs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

examination. The patient tested positive for the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleic acid (throat swab). Further, chest computed tomography (CT) revealed typical COVID-19 findings, and head CT did not reveal significant abnormalities. The patient recovered after treatment and was discharged.

This rare case indicates that SARS-CoV-2 can invade the central nervous system, thus causing neurological symptoms and signs.

Key words: neurological symptoms; meningitis; COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARA-CoV-2, is a disease characterized by pneumonia. The main clinical presentations are fever, dry cough, and fatigue, but in addition to respiratory symptoms, a minority of patients may present only with muscle soreness, gastrointestinal symptoms, or dispiritedness in the early stages 1 . According to limited pathological autopsy results, in addition to lung involvement, the heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, hilar lymph nodes, bone marrow, and even brain tissues are also affected in patients with COVID-19 2 . Herein, we report a case of a patient diagnosed with COVID-19 who manifested with neurological symptoms. 

Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China

Pathological findings of COVID-19 associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome

The epidemiology and pathogenesis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak

The neuroinvasive potential of SARS-CoV2 may play a role in the respiratory failure of COVID-19 patients

Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan

The neuroinvasive potential of SARS-CoV-2 may play a role in the respiratory failure of COVID-19 patients

Structural basis for the recognition of the SARS-CoV-2 by full-length human ACE2

An alteration of the dopamine synthetic pathway is possibly involved in the pathophysiology of COVID-19

Tissue distribution of ACE2 protein, the functional receptor for SARS coronavirus. A first step in understanding SARS pathogenesis

We thank webshop of elsevier (https://webshop.elsevier.com) for its linguistic assistance during the preparation of this manuscript.

The authors report no competing interests.

Writing: RY, WF and TW. Data collection: GC, TW, and DC. Data analysis: RY, TL and DX.