Extrapulmonary Manifestations of SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

On December 30, 2019, the first reports of a group of patients with unknown etiology pneumonia appeared in Wuhan city, Hubei province, China. Taking into consideration the large amount of similar nucleotide sequences between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the past epidemic coronavirus, it will be appropriate to expect that such pathogens share the same cell line tropism and systemic pathology. Although several studies have, so far, identified the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 cases, there is very little knowledge on the extrapulmonary affection of SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we summarize reports of the main affected organs besides the pulmonary system such as the liver and kidneys, as well as the cardiovascular and nervous system. The mechanisms of lesion remain largely unclear. The approach of this investigation is to suggest multisystemic work-up in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, aside from its respiratory management.