th Organization named the disease the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and declared it a pandemic on 11 March 2020.1 Although the lung is the primary affected organ, the virus is neurovirulent and neuroinvasive with a growing recognition of neurological manifestations. The reported incidence of stroke in COVID-19 hospitalized patients is 0.9–2%,2,3 with an increased incidence in the young.4 More important than the increased incidence, is the poor outcome and high mortality rate, even with optimal treatment.5,6 A recent cross-sectional comparative study from New York identified a 7.5-fold higher rate of ischemic stroke in COVID-19 compared to influenza.3
In the current pandemic situation, a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with COVID-19 and characterization of cerebrovascular pathologies and outcomes is critical not only to estimate the risk but also to gui