Researchers in Wuhan, China have found that 36% of patients that were infected with COVID-19 displayed neurologic symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Brain scans presented symptoms of acute necrotizing encephalopathy which could be a result of the inflammatory cytokine storm.
The cytokine storm that is sometimes initiated by SARS-CoV-2 causes a hyper-inflammatory reaction sending the patient's immune system into chaos. Further research is needed in order to determine if SARS-CoV-2 directly attacks nervous system tissue or it damages it by the inflammatory damage created by the patient's immune system. Researchers speculate that the neuroinvasive capability of the virus can increase the risk of neurodegenerative disorders like MS or Parkinson's disease.