Journal of Multiple Sclerosis

Neuropathogenesis and Neurological Effects of SARS-Cov-2 on Glial Cells and Its Potential Progression to Multiple Sclerosis

Sara A. Abdulla, Noothan J. Satheesh, Salam Salloum Asfar

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV- 2) that mainly affects the lungs. COVID-19 symptoms include the presence of fevers, dry coughs, fatigue, sore throat, headaches, diarrhea and a loss of taste or smell. However, it is understood that SARS-CoV-2 is neurotoxic and neuro-invasive and could enter the central nervous system (CNS) via the hematogenous route or peripheral nerve route and causes encephalitis, encephalopathy, and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) in COVID-19 patients. This review paper discusses the possibility of SARS-CoV-2 mediated Multiple Sclerosis (MS) development in the future, a case comparable to the surge in Parkinson’s disease cases followed by the Spanish Flu in the year 1918. Moreover, the SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with a cytokine storm. This paper highlights the impact of these modulated cytokines on glial cell interactions within the CNS, and its role in potentially prompting MS development.