Articles: pandemics.
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Neurologia (Engl Ed) · May 2020
ReviewImpact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases: a delayed pandemic?
SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in December 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has since spread across the world. At present, the virus has infected over 1.7 million people and caused over 100 000 deaths worldwide. Research is currently focused on understanding the acute infection and developing effective treatment strategies. In view of the magnitude of the epidemic, we conducted a speculative review of possible medium- and long-term neurological consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with particular emphasis on neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases of neuroinflammatory origin, based on the available evidence on neurological symptoms of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. ⋯ SARS-CoV-2 is a neuroinvasive virus capable of triggering a cytokine storm, with persistent effects in specific populations. Although our hypothesis is highly speculative, the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the onset and progression of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases of neuroinflammatory origin should be regarded as the potential cause of a delayed pandemic that may have a major public health impact in the medium to long term. Cognitive and neuropsychological function should be closely monitored in COVID-19 survivors.
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Previous studies have showed clinical characteristics of patients with the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the evidence of person-to-person transmission. Limited data are available for asymptomatic infections. This study aims to present the clinical characteristics of 24 cases with asymptomatic infection screened from close contacts and to show the transmission potential of asymptomatic COVID-19 virus carriers. ⋯ However, the communicable period could be up to three weeks and the communicated patients could develop severe illness. These results highlighted the importance of close contact tracing and longitudinally surveillance via virus nucleic acid tests. Further isolation recommendation and continuous nucleic acid tests may also be recommended to the patients discharged.
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The COVID-19 pandemic with its subsequent mental health consequences has challenged the word view of most people. A genome typically of 26,000-32,000 bases long RNA has shut down the wheel of man made progress. The social isolation after the lock-down has not only led to economic difficulties but also adverse psychological reactions. ⋯ People have to deal with the imminent issue of death which is anxiety provoking in itself. This calls for dealing with the immediate mental health consequences with the aide of technological advancements as discussed in this write-up. A new inter-personal ethics need to emerge which is scientifically correct and in-line with age old values.