Extrapulmonary manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection

Abstract

The disease caused by a new coronavirus, which started in 2019, was named COVID-19 and declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, by the World Health Organization. Although it is true that the first reports emphasized the respiratory manifestations of this disease as an initial clinical presentation, little by little cases with different initial manifestations began to appear, involving other systems. In cases where central nervous system involvement was identified, the most frequent findings were dizziness, headache, and alteration of alertness. Regarding the cardiovascular system, elevation of cardiac biomarkers and myocarditis are one of the most frequent findings. The main gastrointestinal symptoms described so far are: anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and/or discomfort. Venous thromboembolism is a frequent complication and a public health problem. Skin manifestations remain a field of investigation. Maculopapular rashes, reticular livedo, acral gangrene, and among others, have been identified. Health personnel must be updated on new clinical findings and the forms of presentation of this partially known disease, which will make it possible to make more accurate and timely diagnoses, thus impacting the prognosis of these patients.