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A year ago, when the first cases of COVID-19 were detected in Wuhan, China, health experts considered it a respiratory virus, primarily attacking and damaging the lungs and heart. However, as the number of cases increased and the death toll began to mount, they soon realized that highly infectious diseases could wreak havoc on almost any organ, including the brain.
Mysterious symptoms including brain fog, fatigue, loss of taste and smell, and even stroke, seizures and delirium have been reported by patients. And some of them were still experiencing these manifestations of the virus for months after their initial infection. Today, researchers may be closer to understanding why people suffer from the cognitive effects of the virus. Read on – and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss them Sure Signs That You Have Had Coronavirus.
Coronavirus invades brain, say researchers
A new study published on December 16 in Neuroscience of nature has identified that the virus spike protein can cross the blood brain barrier, at least in mice. This would mean that SARS-CoV-2 can literally invade the brain.
In one Press release accompanying the study, corresponding author William A. Banks, professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine and a researcher and physician in the Puget Sound Veterans Health System explained that said spike protein, also called protein S1, dictates which cells the virus can enter. Usually the virus does the same thing as its binding protein, he explained, and can cause damage by breaking away from the virus and causing inflammation. “The S1 protein probably causes the brain to release cytokines and inflammatory products,” he said.
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COVID Signs Has Invaded Your Brain
This intense inflammation is described as a “cytokine storm” and was identified very early in cases of COVID-19 by doctors. In short, it is an overreaction of the immune system in an attempt to kill the invading virus. Therefore, the patient is left with:
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Brain fog: Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease expert and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, described the “brain fog” as “difficulty concentrating.” It can strike people with COVID-19 and is a main symptom of post-COVID syndrome, which affects 10% or more of those who contract COVID.
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Tired: The most common symptom of post-COVID syndrome, this fatigue can be soul sucking and resembles that of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome.
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Other cognitive problems: Doctors have reported seeing patients with hallucinations and delirium. “Delirium is a syndrome characterized by the acute onset of brain dysfunction with a change or fluctuation in baseline mental state, as well as inattention and either disorganized thinking or a level of consciousness. altered “, reports Pharmacy hours.
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Shortness of breath: Knowing that this same reaction occurs with the HIV virus, Banks and his team wanted to see if this also occurs with SARS CoV-2. “It was like déjà vu,” he revealed. Jacob Raber, a professor in the departments of behavioral neuroscience, neurology and radiologic medicine, and his teams at Oregon Health & Science University, added that their research could explain complications from COVID-19. “We know that when you have a COVID infection you have trouble breathing and that is because there is an infection in your lungs, but a further explanation is that the virus enters the respiratory centers of the brain and It’s also causing problems, ”Banks said.
The researchers also found that the process was faster in men than in women, which could explain why men are more susceptible to serious infections than women.
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Long term damage is possible, so stay safe
Banks noted that the impact of COVID on the brain may not be fleeting. “You don’t want to play with this virus,” Raber said. “Many of the effects of the COVID virus could be accentuated or perpetuated or even caused by viruses entering the brain and these effects could last for a very long time.”
If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned here – cognitive problems, difficulty breathing, brain fog – see a doctor.
And that’s one more reason to follow basic public health principles and help stop this wave, no matter where you live: wear a mask, social distancing, avoid large crowds, do not go indoors with people you are not immune to (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, get vaccinated soon available to you, and to protect your life and the lives of others, do not visit any of these 35 places where you’re most likely to catch COVID.
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