Goodloe Travis B, Walter Lauren A
University of Alabama Birmingham, Department of Emergency Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama.
Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med. 2021 Feb;5(1):26-29. doi: 10.5811/cpcem.2020.12.50036.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiology of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has proven to be an era-defining illness with profound impact on patients and healthcare providers alike. By nearly all measures, daily cases and deaths are growing on a global scale despite conscious infection control efforts. As the medical community strives to better understand the pathogenesis of COVID-19, it has become increasingly appreciated that this "respiratory virus" can present clinically with a wide range of signs and symptoms not necessarily confined to the respiratory system.
Specifically, the central nervous system has been described as the presenting complaint of COVID-19, including anosmia and headaches and, more rarely, meningitis. This clinical case highlights the presentation of a 52-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with altered mental status and fever, ultimately attributed to COVID-19 infection.
This case serves to add to the growing body of evidence surrounding the potentially severe neuropathologic capabilities of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus.
严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）是2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行的病原体，已被证明是一种具有时代意义的疾病，对患者和医护人员都产生了深远影响。几乎从所有指标来看，尽管采取了有意识的感染控制措施，但全球范围内的每日病例数和死亡人数仍在增加。随着医学界努力更好地了解COVID-19的发病机制，人们越来越认识到这种“呼吸道病毒”在临床上可能表现出广泛的体征和症状，不一定局限于呼吸系统。
具体而言，中枢神经系统已被描述为COVID-19的首发症状，包括嗅觉丧失和头痛，更罕见的是脑膜炎。本临床病例突出了一名52岁男性的表现，他因精神状态改变和发热到急诊科就诊，最终归因于COVID-19感染。
该病例有助于增加围绕新型SARS-CoV-2病毒潜在严重神经病理能力的越来越多的证据。
