Authors’ reply: Comment on: Outbreak of COVID-19 – an urgent need for good science to silence our fears?

摘要

We thank the author for his comments on our editorial.(1,2) While neurotropic viruses such as those from the herpesviruses andJapanese encephalitis are well known to cause neuroinvasive disease, respiratory viruses such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus,human coronavirus and metapneumovirus have been associated with neurological symptoms including seizures, encephalopathy,encephalomyelitis and Guillain-Barré Syndrome.(3) The exact mechanism of these conditions is not always clear.While novel coronaviruses present predominantly with respiratory symptoms, there have been reports of neurological manifestationsin rare instances. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) has been found in the cerebrospinal fluid of SARSinfected patients who presented with seizures;(3) neuromuscular complications have been described in patients with Middle Eastrespiratory syndrome;(4) and interestingly, human coronavirus OC43 was associated with fatal encephalitis in an 11-month-old boywho had undergone cord blood transplantation for severe combined immunodeficiency.