SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of a Patient with Long COVID. (October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Viszlayová, Daša; Sojka, Martin; Dobrodenková, Silvia; Szabó, Szabolcs; Bilec, Ondrej; Turzová, Mária; Ďurina, Juraj; Baloghová, Barbara; Borbély, Zoltán; Kršák, Martin
• Is Part Of: Therapeutic advances in infectious disease. Volume 8(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-10
• Subjects: cerebrospinal fluid -- COVID-19 -- long COVID -- post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) -- SARS-CoV-2; Communicable diseases -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Infection -- Treatment -- Periodicals; 616.905
• DOI: 10.1177/20499361211048572
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2049-9361

Abstract

Over 10% of COVID-19 convalescents report post-COVID-19 complications, namely, 'long COVID' or 'post-COVID syndrome, ' including a number of neuro-psychiatric symptoms. The pathophysiology of COVID-19 in the central nervous system is poorly understood but may represent post-COVID injury, ongoing sterile maladaptive inflammation, or SARS-CoV-2 persistence. We describe a long COVID patient with SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the cerebrospinal fluid, which seems important, specifically due to recent reports of gray matter volume loss in COVID-19 patients. Further studies of SARS-CoV2 RNA, markers of inflammation, and neuronal damage in the CSF of patients with long COVID would be useful and should address whether the CNS can serve as a reservoir of SARS-CoV-2, clarify the pathway by which COVID-19 contributes to CNS dysfunction, and how best to therapeutically address it.