Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID 19) is considered primarily a respiratory disease.
Symptoms of respiratory infections usually seen in COVID 19 are fever,cough,sore throat,malaise,and breathlessness. .
Patients may present as a case of pneumonia ,ARDS,Shock or MODS.
Some patients may develop pain abdomen,vomiting and diarrhoea
Some patients may present as a case of meningitis,encephalitis or meningoencephalitis.
According to a study of case series of 3 cases,all presented with features of CNS infection,CSF examination were normal in 2 cases.
PCR test on CSF were also negative.
After the negative test result of PCR,it was thought that,the encephalitis was not due to Corona virus.
But all three cases were diagnosed as corona virus encephalitis,only when IgM antibody test against novel Corona Virus came positive.
It is being analysed that the PCR test is good for Herpes virus but not for Corona Virus.
One patient also develpod encephalomyelitis(inflammation of brain and spinal cord).
So,it has been concluded that ,only antibody test in CSF,can diagnose encephalitis due to novel Corona Virus.
REFERENCES:Pauline Anderson. Does CSF Antibody Testing Confirm Coronavirus in the Brain? – Medscape – Jun 08, 2020.