SARS-CoV-2 Infection

SARS-CoV-2 infection, caused by a highly transmissible single-stranded RNA betacoronavirus, leads to COVID-19 and is associated with significant neurological and neuropsychiatric manifestations during both acute and post-acute phases, including cognitive deficits, fatigue, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and sleep disturbances, with long-term risks of stroke, memory disorders, seizures, and other neurologic conditions. Emerging evidence suggests that viral structural proteins such as the spike and S1 subunit may act as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), triggering proinflammatory immune responses through Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways in the periphery and brain, potentially contributing to the observed neurologic and psychiatric sequelae.