SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of a Patient with Long COVID

Abstract

Over 10% of COVID-19 convalescents report post-COVID-19 complications, namely, ‘long COVID’ or ‘post-COVID syndrome,’ including a number of neuro-psychiatric symptoms. The pathophysiology of COVID-19 in the central nervous system is poorly understood but may represent post-COVID injury, ongoing sterile maladaptive inflammation, or SARS-CoV-2 persistence. We describe a long COVID patient with SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the cerebrospinal fluid, which seems important, specifically due to recent reports of gray matter volume loss in COVID-19 patients. Further studies of SARS-CoV2 RNA, markers of inflammation, and neuronal damage in the CSF of patients with long COVID would be useful and should address whether the CNS can serve as a reservoir of SARS-CoV-2, clarify the pathway by which COVID-19 contributes to CNS dysfunction, and how best to therapeutically address it.