the neuronal terminals leading to a lobe of the brain innervate the nasal mucosa.

the optic nerve is hidden behind the eye with a substantial barrier of non nervous tissue in front of it.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1e/Sc...

Can the infection move through nervous tissue more easily than non-nervous tissue?

that doesnt seem to be the case. this virus really likes your lungs because of a specific protien. this protien exists in your lungs at a greater concentration than elsewhere in your body. The virus would have to undergo a specific series of mutations to get good at targeting neurons.

yes, but there isn't a direct route from the outside to your brain. Your eye socket is relatively well insulated from the outside by skin, connective tissue, conjunctiva.

what you should take home from this is that you are not in immedate danger from a neurotrophic virus at this time.

what you should also take from this espescially if you are involved in policy is that this corona virus we are experiencing has in its distant heritage ancestors with reported neurotrophic properties. It is possible, that at some time in the future, this virus will accumulate signifigant genetic drift and gain or lose certain properties.