Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was identified at the end of December 2019 in China. Symptoms of COVID-19 can appear after an incubation phase of the virus of 2 to 14 days, the most common being fever, cough, and asthenia. Other specific symptoms may include shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle pain, sore throat, chills, loss of smell or sensation, chest pain, headache, nausea, rash, diarrhea, and vomiting. The severity of these symptoms can be mild or even extreme causing serious damage to several organs, directly and indirectly, namely pulmonary, renal, hepatic, cardiac, digestive, neurological. Some people have only mild symptoms, while others are asymptomatic. Seniors or those at risk for certain chronic diseases, such as massive obesity, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, immune system abnormalities, and liver disease are more susceptible to COVID-19 and can develop more serious and fatal complications.
Since December 2019, the world has been shaken by the spread of a highly pathogen virus, causing severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-Cov2), which emerged in Wuhan, China. SARS-Cov2 is known to cause acute pneumonia: the cardinal feature of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Clinical features of the disease include respiratory distress, loss of spontaneous breathing, and sometimes neurologic signs such as headache and nausea and anosmia, leading to suppose a possible involvement of the nervous system as a potential target of SARS-CoV2. The chapter will shed light on the recent clinical and experimental data sustaining the involvement of the nervous system in the pathophysiology of COVID-19, based on several case reports and experimental data reporting the possible transmission of SARS-CoV2 throughout the peripheral nerves to the brain cardiorespiratory centers. Thus, understanding the role of the nervous system in the course of clinical symptoms of COVID-19 is important in determining the appropriate therapeutic approach to combat the disease.
Depression and anxiety are among the most serious disorders spread-out all over the world. In most cases, patients with depression present features of anxiety. Interestingly and inversely, patients with anxiety also present depression. Thus, both disorders may occur together, with one meeting criteria of the other. The extent of the two disorders has been shown through the high rates of their prevalence. They are, furthermore, associated with significant morbidity which shows how important is to identify and treat both illnesses. However, several epidemiological studies have reported such illnesses to be intensified with the influence of environmental factors such as the toxic effect of heavy metals. Furthermore, the influence of climate change exacerbates the negative effect of these elements. Biological and preclinical investigations have reconciled the mechanism of action by which heavy metals set off emotional disorders. Though its potential harms are important, more studies are needed to understand heavy metals' influence on the evoked pathways.
Climate change has an important impact on the environment. As it degrades the quality of water, soil, and area, it also spreads the distribution of many toxic elements, specifically heavy metals and pesticides. The impact of climate change on contamination with heavy metals and pesticides has been well investigated and discussed. The influence of these elements on human health is obviously exacerbated following their extended distribution. Moreover, a wide range of health problems have been associated to such intoxication, among which impairment and dysfunction of the nervous system are prominent. In this chapter, the authors will shed light on two most common neurological diseases such as epilepsy and stroke affecting people worldwide arising from food and water contaminations, mainly with heavy metals and pesticides.
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