Here'a pretty good and detailed study of Covid's effects on the central nervous system that's not behind a paywall.
Much of it is over my head, but my clear takeaways:
1) It's now well-established that Covid has overt central nervous system symptoms in about 30% of those infected, and while this tends to skew toward the severely ill, it is seen often enough even in "mild" cases. It is also a large component of Long Covid symptoms. (From other sources, we know that a little under 2/3 of covid patients have their sense of smell impaired or entirely removed for a time, which is also a neurological symptom, but I think they are using a much more strict definition of "CNS involvement" here).
2) Apart from the usual brain imaging that shows atrophy of brain tissue, they also found high levels of astrocytes, cells that are found after significant neurological injury.
3) A lot more study is needed.
Summary quote:
Bottom line -- do your best not to catch Covid even once.
Much of it is over my head, but my clear takeaways:
1) It's now well-established that Covid has overt central nervous system symptoms in about 30% of those infected, and while this tends to skew toward the severely ill, it is seen often enough even in "mild" cases. It is also a large component of Long Covid symptoms. (From other sources, we know that a little under 2/3 of covid patients have their sense of smell impaired or entirely removed for a time, which is also a neurological symptom, but I think they are using a much more strict definition of "CNS involvement" here).
2) Apart from the usual brain imaging that shows atrophy of brain tissue, they also found high levels of astrocytes, cells that are found after significant neurological injury.
3) A lot more study is needed.
Summary quote:
Quote:In summary, our findings are consistent with a model in which SARS-CoV-2 is able to reach the CNS of COVID-19 patients, infect astrocytes via NRP1 interaction, and secondarily impair neuronal function and viability. These changes may contribute to the alterations of brain structure observed here and elsewhere, thereby resulting in the neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric dysfunctions manifested by some patients with COVID-19. Our study comes as a cautionary note that mechanisms of neuroinvasion in fatal COVID-19 could also be operative in mild COVID-19.
Bottom line -- do your best not to catch Covid even once.
