Title:Persons with Co-Existing Neurological Disorders: Risk Analysis, Considerations
and Management in COVID-19 Pandemic
Volume: 21
Issue: 3
Author(s): Sumit Sharma, Sonali Batra, Saurabh Gupta*, Vivek K. Sharma, Md. Habibur Rahman and Mohammad Amjad Kamal
Affiliation:
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab 140401, India
Keywords:
Neurological manifestations, central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, encephalopathy, COVID-19, respiratory disease
Abstract: Increasing reports of neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patient’s warrant clinicians
to adopt and define the standardized diagnostic and managing protocols in order to investigate the
linkage of neurological symptoms in COVID-19. Encephalitis, anosmia, acute cerebrovascular disease
and ageusia are some of the emerging neurological manifestations which are reported in several
cohort studies on hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Although the COVID-19 pandemic is
primarily associated with infection of the respiratory tract system, but measures like lockdown and
restricted physical movements to control the spread of this infection will certainly have neurobehavioural
implications. Additionally, some of the patients with pre-existing neurological manifestations
like epilepsy, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease are more prone to infection and demand
extra care as well as improvised treatment. In this review, we have focused on the neurovirological
clinical manifestations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the prevalence of neurovirological
manifestations is rare increasing reports cannot be ignored and needs to be discussed
thoroughly with respect to risk analysis and considerations for developing a management strategy.
This also helps in defining the burden of neurological disorders associated with COVID-19 patients.
