With the coronavirus has taken over the world causing mass lockdowns and completely uprooting our way of life, many of us know someone close to us who has been infected with the virus.
While many of us know the common symptoms of the virus affecting the lungs and breathing and causing fever and shortness of breath, research shows that many of the symptoms of the virus are shown to be harmful to the brain. In fact, based on the research thus far, researchers believe that there are 4 effects that the virus has on neurological behavior.
Besides infection, the virus also causes the immune system to become hyperactive. The microglia, or the immune cells of the nervous system are thus also activated and they may attack the neural cells of the brain causing cognitive issues.
Thirdly, as the body tries to mount a powerful response against the virus, it causes the body to undergo many physiological changes and is thus very chaotic. This leads to fevers and potential organ failures, thus leading to patients hallucinating or causing them to be delirious.
Finally, there is the risk of having blood clotting abnormalities due to an excess of blood clotting in patients who are infected. Clots can form in the brain, causing a stroke since blood flow to neural tissue is blocked.
Now because of the blood clotting, some of the COVID patients in their 30s and 40s are suffering from strokes, an anomaly as strokes are normally limited to older individuals.
This makes the neural effects of the coronavirus even more dangerous. Researchers all throughout the world are continuing to study the direct correlations between COVID-19 and its effects on our body and the brain, and as we learn more about its devastating effects, it becomes even more important that we wear a mask and social distance. Stay safe everyone!
