Manifestation of neurological sequels after COVID-19: litera-ture review

Abstract

COVID-19 had its first case in the city of Wuhan, China, in December 2019, with a few isolated cases that soon became a pandemic within a short period of time. Studies report widely varying prevalences of neurological manifestations, ranging from 3% to 35%, with a higher incidence in severe or critical cases. Neurological manifestations generally occur between the first and 14th day after the onset of respiratory symptoms. To determine the prevalence and types of neurological sequelae in post-COVID-19 patients through a literature review. A literature search was conducted in the electronic databases BVS, PubMed, and SciELO. Inclusion criteria were studies with full text availability, on patients who contracted COVID-19, published from 2019 to 2022. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 17 articles were selected, with nine eligible articles. The main results showed that COVID-19 affects the central nervous system (CNS) and can also cause exacerbated activation of the immune system, leading to stroke, depression, anxiety, encephalopathies, headaches, among others. Patient follow-up is necessary since this is a disease still under study and relatively new. This review should be updated as new sequelae or consequences may arise in the long term after the virus.