SARS-CoV-2 induces acute neurological signs while Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) signaling blockade reduces interleukin 6 (IL-6) release and weight loss in mouse models.

COVID-19 can cause neurological symptoms such as fever, headache, dizziness, and nausea. However, such neurological symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection have not been assessed in mouse models. Here, we infected two commonly used wildtype mice lines (C57BL/6 and 129S) with mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 - and demonstrated neurological signs that including motion-related dizziness. Further, we show that CGRP signaling blockade can reduce IL-6 release and reverse long-term weight loss associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, without rescuing either fever and/or dizziness. These findings suggest that CGRP signaling blockade can be protective in acute SARS-CoV-2 infections, and raise the possibility that it may also impact long-term outcomes of infection.