Six months into the Covid pandemic, we're hearing about potential side effects of the virus. The term "COVID brain" is being used to describe neurological symptoms that appear long after the virus is gone.
"It's something that has been around for a little bit," said Dr. Thomas Russo, Chief of Infectious Disease with the Jacobs School of Medicine at the University at Buffalo. "We're hearing about it with people who were very sick in hospitals, and those who were mildly ill as well.
Dr. Russo said it is an important development. "When the outbreak first began, we thought of Covid as an acute disease. After two weeks, it's over, one way or the other. But we're learning that the virus can effect a number of organs, particularly the heart, kidneys, brain and gastrointestinal tract. Not only can it have an acute immediate effect, it can have an intermediate effect with people having symptoms that linger for weeks and weeks after the initial infection."
Early on, some people hospitalized around the globe with COVID-19 were experiencing delirium. They were confused, disorientated and agitated.
Neuroscientists say the list now includes stroke, brain hemorrhage and memory loss. Serious diseases can cause such effects, but the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic means that thousands of people could already have these symptoms, and some might be facing lifelong problems as a result.
Researchers are struggling to answer key questions — including basic ones, such as how many people have these conditions, and who is at risk. Most importantly, they want to know why these particular symptoms are showing up.
For this reason, Dr. Russo said the best strategy is to not get infected with the virus as scientists are still learning its intermediate and long term effects.
"The warning flag is up," said Russo. He cited one study involving the heart. "People who were mildly or minimally symptomatic, a couple of months ago, still have inflammation of the heart. This could portend the possibility of difficulties with the heart for years or even decades later." This is something that is being followed closely, Russo said.
