The need for neurologists in the care of COVID‐19 patients

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) resulting in severe acute respiratory syndrome in a substantial number of patients. Approximately 5% to 10% of patients need intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mechanical ventilation [1]. The primary symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, dry cough and fatigue [2]. However, a recent report from Shandong, China, disclosed that a subset of patients did not suffer from respiratory symptoms but had neurologic signs and symptoms [3]. Moreover, in a retrospective study from Wuhan, China, neurologic symptoms were observed in 36.4% of the hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection and pertained to both the central and peripheral nervous system [4].

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