Acute Ischemic Stroke in COVID-19: Putative Mechanisms, Clinical Characteristics, and Management

Abstract EN

The emergence and spread of the highly contagious novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have triggered the greatest public health challenge of the last century.

Aside from being a primary respiratory disease, acute ischemic stroke has emerged as a complication of the disease.

While current evidence shows COVID-19 could cause ischemic stroke especially in severe disease, there are similarities in the risk factors for severe COVID-19 as well as ischemic stroke, underscoring the complex relationship between these two conditions.

The pandemic has created challenges for acute stroke care.

Rapid assessment and time-sensitive interventions required for optimum outcomes in acute stroke care have been complicated by COVID-19 due to the need for disease transmission preventive measures.

The purpose of this article is to explore the putative mechanisms of ischemic stroke in COVID-19 and the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients who develop ischemic stroke.

In addition, we discuss the challenges of managing acute ischemic stroke in the setting of COVID-19 and review current management guidelines.

We also highlighted potential areas for future research.