Potential Neuroinvasive Nature of the COVID-19 Virus

Abstract

COVID-19 is the current global pandemic that has affected millions around the world. While it appears that respiratory distress such as fever, dry cough, lung inflammation, and pneumonia are common symptoms among COVID-19 patients, neurological symptoms such as anosmia and ageusia are also becoming more common. The COVID-19 virus targets the hACE2 for initial recognition and host entry, while also showing an enhanced binding affinity for hACE2 in humans compared to its predecessors. Since the brain possesses this hACE2 receptor, it is also susceptible to infection from the COVID-19 virus. The novel virus can travel to the brain by penetrating the blood-brain barrier through the lungs (using the vagal nerve), and the GI tract (using the enteric nervous system) causing severe neural degeneration, resulting in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, and multiple sclerosis. A firm understanding of the underlying mechanisms and pathways behind the COVID-19 virus is crucial in order to identify individuals at-risk for these neurological complications and explore target interventions