Diffuse functional brain disconnection syndrome in critically ill patients with COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Infectious Diseases
• Virology

Background:

• Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel virus primarily known for causing respiratory illness.
• Emerging evidence suggests SARS-CoV-2 may also affect the central nervous system.
• Understanding the full spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 pathology is crucial for patient management.

Observation:

• A case series of 4 critically ill patients with COVID-19 was analyzed.
• These patients initially recovered from severe pneumonia.
• Following recovery from respiratory symptoms, all 4 patients exhibited severe neurological manifestations.

Findings:

• The observed neurological symptoms in these patients were severe and progressive.
• Despite recovery from the acute respiratory phase of COVID-19, neurological disease proved fatal.
• This highlights a potentially devastating neurological complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Implications:

• SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to severe, fatal neurological disease, even after apparent recovery from pneumonia.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 neurotropism and pathogenesis.
• Clinicians should be vigilant for neurological complications in patients recovering from severe COVID-19.