COVID-19: a new emerging respiratory disease from the neurological perspective

International audienceCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a challenging public health catastrophe worldwide. The newly emergeddisease spread in almost all countries and infected 100 million persons worldwide. The infection is not limited to the respiratorysystem but involves various body systems and may lead to multiple organ failure. Tissue degenerative changes result from directviral invasion, indirect consequences, or through an uncontrolled immune response. Severe acute respiratory syndromecoronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads to the brain via hematogenous and neural routes accompanied with dysfunction of theblood–brain barrier. The involvement of the central nervous system is now suspected to be among the main causes of death. Thepresent review discusses the historical background of coronaviruses, their role in previous and ongoing pandemics, the way theyescape the immune system, why they are able to spread despite all undertaken measures, in addition to the neurologicalmanifestations, long-term consequences of the disease, and various routes of viral introduction to the CNS