Infectivity of human coronavirus in the brain

A new strain of human coronaviruses (hCoVs), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS- CoV-2), has been identi fi ed to be responsible for the current outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Though major symptoms are primarily generated from the respiratory system, neurological symptoms are being reported in some of the con fi rmed cases, raising concerns of its potential for intracranial invasion and neurological manifestations, both in the acute phase and in the long-term. At present, it remains unclear the extent to which SARS-CoV-2 is present in the brain, and if so, its pathogenic role in the central nervous system (CNS). Evidence for neuroinvasion and neurovirulence of hCoVs has been recognised in ani- mal and human studies. Given that SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the same family and shares characteristics in terms of receptor binding properties, it is worthwhile exploring its potential CNS manifestations. This review summarises previous fi ndings from hCoVs in relation to the CNS, and compares these with the new strain, aiming to provide a better understanding of the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the CNS. (c) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY -NC -ND license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)