(Yicai Global) March 5 -- Covid-19 can attack the central nervous system, Beijing Ditan Hospital has warned medical staff on the frontline of the battle against the novel coronavirus after it discovered the world's first instance of this dire new development in the pneumonia-inducing pathogen's virulence.

The hospital had admitted 150 coronavirus patients as of 7.00 a.m. yesterday, including the one suffering from the disease combined with encephalitis -- swelling of the brain -- the hospital announced on its account on Tencent Holding's popular WeChat messaging app yesterday.

Coronavirus patients may concurrently exhibit acute respiratory distress, injury to the heart muscles, abnormal blood clotting and kidney and liver damage, but no central nervous system damage had yet come to light anywhere. Its case is thus the world's first with such an outcome, the hospital stressed.

Medical staff must recognize that the Covid-19 may be affecting patients' nervous systems if they experience sudden consciousness disorders or lapse into comas, noted Liu Jingyuan, director of the hospital's intensive care unit.

The care facility, formerly known as Beijing No. 1 Infectious Disease Hospital, welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping, who visited on Feb. 10 to learn about diagnosis and treatment of the virus.

Editor: Ben Armour