Introduction
COVID-19 has been a global pandemic for over a year now, and while much is known about the virus, there is still much to learn. One of the most concerning aspects of the virus is its potential to affect the brain. Recent research has suggested that one particular symptom may be an indication that the virus has attacked the brain. In this article, we will explore what this symptom is and what it could mean for those who experience it.
This One Symptom May Mean COVID Attacked Your Brain
COVID-19 has been linked to a wide range of neurological symptoms, including confusion, headaches, and even stroke. But one symptom in particular may be a sign that the virus has attacked your brain: anosmia, or the inability to smell.
Anosmia is one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19, and it can be a sign that the virus has infiltrated the brain. Studies have found that up to 80% of people with COVID-19 experience some degree of anosmia, and it can be a sign that the virus has spread to the olfactory bulb, which is located in the brain.
The olfactory bulb is responsible for processing smells, and if it is infected with the virus, it can cause anosmia. In addition, the virus can also cause inflammation in the brain, which can lead to other neurological symptoms such as confusion, headaches, and even stroke.
If you are experiencing anosmia, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Your doctor can perform tests to determine if the virus has spread to your brain, and they can also provide treatment to help reduce the symptoms.
COVID-19 is a serious illness, and it is important to take all necessary precautions to protect yourself and your loved ones. If you are experiencing anosmia, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Many months into the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers are nonetheless scrambling to grasp precisely the way it assaults and ravages each the physique and the thoughts. Whereas the extremely infectious and doubtlessly lethal virus primarily wreaks havoc on the lungs, startling statistics and research, in addition to first-hand physician testimonials, assist that it additionally invades the mind, leading to a slew of scary signs all pointing to 1 factor: delirium.
Some researchers have dubbed the ICU a “delirium manufacturing facility” on account of the “life-threatening mind accidents” sufferers have suffered on account of coronavirus. These embrace six signs—psychological confusion, hallucinations, seizures, coma, stroke, and paralysis—and medical specialists aren’t precisely certain the way to deal with them. Learn on, and to make sure your well being and the well being of others, do not miss these Certain Indicators You have Already Had Coronavirus.
COVID-19 Could Trigger Mind Harm
A latest examine from London’s Nationwide Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, has linked the coronavirus to quite a lot of neurological circumstances, together with delirium, stroke and mind irritation. Different scientific research additionally assist claims that coronavirus might trigger mind harm. One examine from Wuhan, China, revealed in JAMA, discovered that 36 % of sufferers suffered neurological signs—together with complications, adjustments in consciousness, strokes, and lack of muscle coordination. A smaller case examine, revealed within the New England Journal of Drugs, famous that 84 % of sufferers admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 induced acute respiratory misery syndrome (ARDS) suffered comparable signs—one-third of who suffered from “dysexecutive syndrome”—inattention, disorientation or poorly organized actions in response to instructions—even after leaving the hospital.
One other latest examine revealed in JAMA discovered that coronavirus invades the mind, after an MRI of a coronavirus affected person who misplaced sense of scent detected abnormalities. The vast majority of coronavirus-related mind harm is restricted to extreme instances, as most of these concerned within the revealed analysis had been on ventilators.
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No Therapy But
Whereas they’ve established a connection between mind harm and the virus, researchers are nonetheless uncertain precisely how precisely it’s occurring. “Proper now, we truly do not know sufficient to say undoubtedly how COVID-19 impacts the mind and nervous system,” Sherry Chou, MD, an affiliate professor of important care medication, neurology and neurosurgery on the College of Pittsburgh College of Drugs, who’s main a global examine of neurological results of the virus, instructed Kaiser Well being Information. “Till we will reply among the most basic questions, it could be too early to take a position on therapies.”
Within the paper that coined the “delirium manufacturing facility” time period, revealed within the medical journal Vital Care, the authors hypothesized quite a lot of prospects. “In sufferers with COVID-19, delirium could also be a manifestation of direct central nervous system (CNS) invasion, induction of CNS inflammatory mediators, a secondary impact of different organ system failure, an impact of sedative methods, extended mechanical air flow time, or environmental components, together with social isolation,” they wrote.
Whereas docs would usually make neurological problems a precedence, the virus complicates every little thing from preliminary analysis to remedy choices. For instance, some sufferers are too sick to journey throughout the hospital for an MRI and docs are involved about contaminating gear or infecting different healthcare staff. “Our arms are way more tied proper now than earlier than the pandemic,” mentioned Dr. Chou. Kevin Sheth, MD, a professor of neurology and neurosurgery on the Yale College of Drugs, added that strokes can even go unnoticed, particularly when sufferers are closely sedated.
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Different Components Contribute to Psychological Decline
Within the Vital Care paper, researchers level out that it’s not the virus alone accountable for potential mind harm of coronavirus sufferers. “The additional components of human isolation, prolonged time away from household and different family members, and different components of care all kind what might be construed as a delirium manufacturing facility that medical groups should handle,” they write. Along with persevering with to analysis the brain-coronavirus connection and bettering remedy choices, they urge the significance of “complete individual care” in an effort to reduce the general harm.