More Bad News: COVID may trigger an Immune Attack on the Brain.

[speak easy]

(what, me worry?) Young people take note.

Immune reactions to severe Covid may trigger brain problems, study finds

Severe Covid infections can cause immune reactions that damage nerve cells in the brain, causing memory problems and confusion, and potentially raising the risk of long-term health issues, research suggests.

Scientists at King’s College London found that a wayward immune response to the virus increased the death rate of neurons and had a “profound” impact on regeneration in the hippocampus region of the brain, which is crucial for learning and memory.

The findings are preliminary but suggest Covid can trigger neurological problems in patients without the virus having to infect the brain itself. The process is believed to underpin delirium in Covid patients, but may also contribute to brain fog and other problems experienced by people with long Covid.

“These neurological symptoms are very concerning for patients and their families, and the hope is that our research can help identify which treatments would be most appropriate to lessen or prevent these symptoms,” said Carmine Pariante, a professor of biological psychiatry at KCL’s Institute of Psychiatry, and senior author on the study.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/05/immune-reactions-to-severe-covid-may-trigger-brain-problems-study-finds

[musette_sf]

1. I am currently traveling for business

and I am SHOCKED! SHOCKED! that almost no one is masking on planes, and that only two of us in our workshop, out of some 30 people, are wearing masks.

I’m taking as few chances as possible because we are still learning shit like this about the disease.

[spooky3]

2. ITA! I flew last week for the first time in months

and was the only one wearing a mask. The woman sitting next to me coughed incessantly. By the end of the week I had a positive COVID test. This is despite receiving all available vaccines.

I hope you’ll be ok, but if you feel sick please see a doctor soon; they can give you meds that will help knock it out more quickly.

[OtterDave]

6. You will be just fine

[musette_sf]

11. Unfortunately, wrong

Masked at all times except when eating, and I got it anyway. Not too bad and only one positive test, but I had to cancel another trip that I was supposed to leave for tomorrow.

[OtterDave]

12. Yes but YOU are doing just fine

Health and family is the important thing!

[musette_sf]

13. I am fortunate

that the combination of the vaccines I’ve had, whatever immunity I myself might genetically have, and amount of viral load I picked up in the strain I caught, all combined to make it a very minor event. Many others have not been so fortunate.

I feel just about back to normal today.

[Ms. Toad]

15. It's way early to reach this conclusion.

I had a very mild case of COVID. 3-4 weeks later I was hospitalized with pancreatitis, a life-threatening condition. It (and two other conditions) were caused by COVID.

Simply avoiding death or severe acute symptoms does not mean that anyone who has had COVID is doing just fine.

[OtterDave]

16. Yes, but most people will be just fine

I am glad you are doing better. That must have sucked.
I had COVID early on in the pandemic. It was like the worst flu I ever had! Not fun for sure.

[Ms. Toad]

17. More than 1 in 5 people have long-term consequences.

For some, it is persistent neurological symptoms - my former employee is still struggling with brain fog a year after her infection. For others it is life-threatening conditions caused by COVID - strokes, heart attacks, or GI stuff (including pancreatitis). My GI system is not back to normal yet - and I have what may be the beginning of arthritis in my hands - a not uncommon consequence of COVID-triggered GI issues. So while your statement is technically accurate (around 80% will be likely be fine), there no diseases this casually contagious which leave 20% of those who contract it with long term - for some permanent and/or deadly - secondary diseases.

Our (collective) dismissal of COVID as an innocuous disease is incredibly irresponsible. We are courting a public health disaster.

[Bayard]

3. Sounds like it could easily be diagnosed as Alzheimer's

"Memory problems and confusion,"

I'm still masking. Usually the only one, even at doctors' offices, dentist, physical therapist, you name it. I'm also hearing people saying they don't see the point in getting another booster now.

[MiniMe]

5. I'm actually surprised at that

The doctors, dentists, and hospitals I have been near lately all have a mandatory mask policy. I was at the cardiologist on Wednesday, their office is part of the hospital. I had to have a mask on to enter the hospital and the doc office. The sign said don't take the mask off. Considering where I was, I had no desire to take my mask off.

[Duppers]

8. Same here too.

Hampton Roads area.

(MM, I know you know where we live. 😁

[Ms. Toad]

4. Actually, that's good news.

We already know COVID causes neurological symptoms. One of the first steps to addressing symptoms is to figure out what is causing them. This is the first potential cause I've seen identified of one of the debilitating symptoms of long COVID.

In addition, more that it has been identified, instead of randomly trying to connect long COVID symptoms to COVID, we can explore what other things this immune reaction might cause - so it's a double bonus.

[speak easy]

7. +1 ty

[fightforfreedom]

9. When Covid struck I warned people, pay attention to history.

It was clear Covid was extremely inflammatory. We know what this can do from history. I told people to watch the movie Awakenings which is based on a true story.

[speak easy]

10. Polio is over,

... oh wait

[Ms. Toad]

14. This is actually good news, not bad.

The neurological symptoms have been known for a long time - it's nothing new that many people with long COVID have long-term memory and other neurological issues.

For the first time, we have at least a preliminary theory on the cause of what we already know is happening. The first step to curing/preventing the symptoms is knowing their cause.