Abstract

Globally, viral infections continue to affect people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. The COVID-19 virus and its variants exhibit asymptomatic to severe pathological symptoms involving tissue/organ-based complications leading to fatality, which is a particularly noteworthy health concern. Alarmingly, there has been a steady and significant rise in various neuropathological complications (NeuroCOVID-19) as a consequence of COVID-19 exposure worldwide. Neuropathologies involve the central (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral (autonomic and somatic) nervous systems’ physiological (biological/functional) and/or anatomical (bodily/structural) defects. Most existing studies consistently reported on the deleteriousness of COVID-19 on the common predominant or prevalent neurological disorders. However, very few studies have focused on the effect of COVID-19 on the less widespread and rare neuropathologies. Hence, the main goal of the current study is to evaluate the worldwide burden of different neuropathologies, neuronal injuries, and risk variables especially related to COVID-19 exposure. Furthermore, this study also compared the effect of NeuroCOVID-19 with Post-COVID and Long-COVID. Data were acquired from PubMed (NIH), WHO, and CDC using the keywords “COVID-19 and Neuropathologies”, “SARS and Neuropathologies”, “Long Covid-19 and Neuropathologies,” and “Post Covid-19 and Neuropathologies.” This study investigated over two hundred and fifty neuropathologies; among these, a total of thirty neuropathologies had been significantly affected by COVID-19 exposure. This study clearly revealed the significant COVID-19-mediated neurotoxicity leading to reversible and irreversible neuropathologies. Subsequently, potential novel prophylactic and therapeutic strategies must be developed universally to exert neuroprotection, prevent COVID-19-induced neurotoxicity, and enhance global healthcare.

Keywords: Nervous System (Central, Peripheral, Autonomic, Somatic); COVID-19; SARS; Post-COVID; Long-COVID; Neuropathologies; Neurotoxicity; Acute/Chronic Toxicity; Infection; Healthcare