Thread by @Dr_M_Guthridge

Thread: #SARS_COV_2 infects the brain

@NEJM study found >50% of #COVID19 patients had neurologic involvement including encephalopathy, agitation, confusion & corticospinal tract abnormalities

Immune activation in the cerebral spinal fluid was observed
nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…

2/ #SarsCov2 can infect the brain and muscle

This @jama study found that patients with severe #COVID19 were more likely to have neurologic symptoms including acute cerebrovascular disruptions, impaired consciousness, and skeletal muscle injury
ja.ma/3ezlAqE

3/ Like SARS and MERS viruses, #SARSCoV2 likely enters the brain using axons or blood cells as ‘trojan horses’ to avoid immune detection

Once #coronavirus has breached the ‘immune-privileged’ brain, there is the potential for persistant infection and ongoing severe disease

4/ This study reports a case where #SARS_COV_2 penetrated the central nervous system causing meningitis, encephalitis, vomiting, seizures and unconsciousness

The cerebral spinal fluid was positive for #coronavirus
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32251791

5/ The more severe the #COVID19, the more likely patients suffer neurological symptoms

~36% of #coronavirus patients have severe neurologic symptoms resulting in acute cerebrovascular diseases, consciousness impairment and skeletal muscle symptoms
medrxiv.org/content/10.110…

6/ Treatment?

“prompt.. intubation and mechanical respiratory support at the earliest sign of ineffective noninvasive ventilation should be proposed, since the central respiratory failure progresses rapidly after the #SARS_COV_2 entry into the CNS”
link.springer.com/article/10.100…