How COVID Might Sow Chaos in the Brain
SARS-CoV-2 appears to travel widely across the cerebral cortex
Headaches, hallucinations, vivid dreams, smell & taste anomalies, strokes and seizures
80% of COVID patients encountered neurological complications
“The widespread 🧠 neuro issues I’m witnessing can’t be overstated; a tipping point of previously healthy adults into early Parkinson’s/ GBS/ dementia/ ALS/ serious 👁️ issues/ strokes/ tremors/ vertigo / intractable anosmia & tinnitus etc
An unparalleled horror show & crime.”
"Widespread use of metal caused estimated 2- to 3-point drop in IQ for nearly 180 years of Pax Romana"
Meanwhile, #Covid in 5 years: "Participants with persistent symptoms had a 6-point loss in IQ, while those who had been admitted to an ICU experienced a 9-point loss in IQ."
“COVID-19 may Enduringly Impact cognitive performance and brain haemodynamics in undergraduate students”
“37 % of the undergraduates exhibited impaired cognition up to 17 months post-infection.”
Evidence that a COVID-19 infection can induce neurological sequelae.
The SARSCoV2 spike protein can persist in the brain—skull bone marrow and meninges—to induce neurologic damage
SARS-CoV-2 spike protein accumulates & persists in the body for years after infection, especially in the skull-meninges-brain axis, potentially driving long COVID. mRNA vaccines help but cannot stop it.
In mice, it caused inflammation, anxiety, and worsened brain injuries. Vaccines reduced but did not fully eliminate it.
“Cognitive deficits after COVID-19 associated with brain injury biomarkers and volume loss”
The study found that patients hospitalized with COVID-19, both with and without acute neurological complications, had worse cognitive scores than expected for their age, sex, and education level. These cognitive deficits were observed across all cognitive domains tested. The cognitive impairment was associated with increased levels of brain injury biomarkers in the blood and reduced volume of a specific brain region (the anterior cingulate cortex) on MRI scans. Factors like the severity of the initial COVID-19 illness and the presence of acute confusion (encephalopathy) were linked to the worst cognitive scores.
“Honestly it kinda pisses me off how some people act like we can't talk about the brain damage from Covid, especially on the population level. Yes, it's important to consider the ableism. But I have brain damage from Covid, including to my emotions, and we need to talk about it...”
SARS-CoV-2 infects neurons using cathepsins, causing tau changes linked to Alzheimer’s and neuron death within days
This suggests neurodegenerative risks and potential for cathepsin inhibitors as treatment
“The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 presents a wide spectrum of neurological manifestations."
"Although there is an improvement in the survival rate of patients with COVID-19, the frequency of neurological manifestations increases."
"The occurrence of delirium, cerebrovascular diseases, and ischemic stroke results in higher mortality."
“Signs of brain inflammation were present up to 18 months after first contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
‘We show that the brainstem is a site of vulnerability to long-term effects of COVID-19, with persistent changes evident in the months after hospitalization,’ the authors of the study conclude.”
“If you’re not noticing the (obvious) cognitive impairment in practically everyone around you, it may be due to your own cognitive decline.
Or denial is rearing its ugly head once again.
Perhaps it’s easier for me considering my background, but honestly, it’s so bloody palpable.”
SARS-CoV-2 preferentially infects astrocytes, which support neuron function, potentially leading to symptoms like fatigue and confusion.
SARS-CoV-2 can also infect pericytes, leading to restricted blood flow and small-vessel strokes.
“GreyBut what every single one of these studies fail to mention is that the reduction in grey matter occurs in 100% of individuals"
A thread with studies:
It’s not “empathy burnout.” It’s Covid brain damage. From neuropathologist: “Covid damages the frontal lobe of the brain.
Many areas of the frontal lobe are essential to the execution of empathy.
Most people are on their 3rd/4th+ infection/s already.
But it’s ‘empathy burnout”’
At least they’re recognising the loss of function I suppose. Many can’t.”
Limbic system damage from Covid:
SARS-CoV-2 is a neurotropic virus that may cause long-term neurological symptoms by damaging the limbic system.
This research shows that COVID-19 can impair emotion recognition, memory, and olfactory abilities, with altered brain connectivity patterns.
“The buddy from college I talk about every now and again.
He’s prolly 50 or so. He posted this a few days ago. He has already had a rough go of it, he has a daughter he is devoted to, and who loves him immensely.
I am as sad as I am angry. “
“Ugh. The more we learn about it, the uglier it looks.
This, again, speaks to my point about tail risk in an emergent situation: it’s at least as bad as it looks. It may be worse.
We are badly underestimating the consequences of delayed risk. It’s a reckless approach. (1/)”
Nearly half of those infected with SARS-CoV-2 experience long-term neurological problems, including brain fog and memory issues.
An infection may accelerate or exacerbate prion diseases like Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, leading to rapid neurodegeneration.
“Worse, most people don’t even notice it has happened to themselves.
But I can tell you we who continue to mask and have many fewer COVID infections can see the growing cognitive damage in more and more people around us.
Memory problems, like recall and word finding delays. Weakness and fatigue and motor control impairment. Growing executive function and emotional regulation deficits.
More and more friends disables and forced out of work or school by Long COVID symptoms.
It’s scary to witness the broad societal decline, and dispiriting to see so many governments and Public Health agencies persist in minimizing the growing problem.”
