The 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is a pandemic disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Respiratory symptoms are the most common, however neurologic symptoms have been reported in more than a third of patients with this infection. The virus can take different pathways to involve the central nervous system, but the exact pathologic basis for this neurologic involvement is currently unknown. This paper describes the case of a 26-year-old female with COVID-19 who presented to the emergency department with spatial and temporal disorientation and slurred speech. The diagnosis of encephalitis was made and a status epilepticus was documented. Several etiologies had been investigated and the only finding was COVID-19. Brain magnetic resonance reveled periventricular white matter lesions compatible with demyelinating lesions, similar to other cases published with literature concerning COVID-19 patients.

Keywords: Encephalitis; Status epilepticus; SARS-CoV-2; Periventricular white matter lesion