People of all ages can get infected with the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV). However, the elderly and people with existing medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, heart disease, etc. seem to be at more risk with catching the virus. Now, a new study has revealed that the people infected with corona faces a severe neuromuscular turbulence! In the present scientific literature, a new review about the symptoms related to neurological functions of the COVID-19 patients has shown such effects. It was found that the disease poses a severe threat to the entire nervous system. This was reported by a Northwestern Medicine study published this week i.e., near to 12th June 2020.
“It’s important for the general public and physicians to be aware of this, because a SARS-COV-2 infection may present with neurologic symptoms initially, before any fever, cough or respiratory problems occur. This understanding is key to direct appropriate clinical management and treatment,” said lead author of the review, Dr. Igor Koralnik, Northwestern Medicine chief of neuro-infectious diseases and global neurology and a professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
About half of inpatients have exhibited the neurological symptoms of COVID-19 which specifically were noticed through dizziness, headache, impaired concentration, attention loss, seizures (in certain cases), olfactory and taste disorders, weakness, muscle pain and stroke, in extreme conditions. As a result, it was found out that this disease can distress the entire nervous system, which can affect the muscles, and nerves as well as the spinal cord, and brain. In fact, not just these aforementioned symptoms; there could be several other ways via which this disease may cause nervous system dysfunction.
For the reason that this disease can affect various organs including the heart, lung, kidney; the brain can even cause the hemorrhagic or the ischemic stroke as a result of to absence of oxygen or further, due to clotting disorders. Adding to this, the virus can straight infect the meninges and the brain. Finally, as a response of the immune system to the ongoing infection, it can lead to inflammation that can further damage the nerves and the brain.
Koralnik and his colleagues formed a research team as Neuro-COVID and initiated a reviewing analysis of all the patients of COVID-19 admitted to Northwestern Medicine. This was done to determine the type, frequency, and response to the treatment of the complications related to neurological activity.
