Scientists warn possibility of Brain Damage and other neurological conditions due to COVID-19

Scientists have warned that the Coronavirus can lead to brain-related diseases. They have found out that this chain of virus can cause some serious neurological complications which include inflammation, psychosis, and delirium.

The researchers at the UCL (University College London) came out with the statement that there have 43 patients tested positive for coronavirus who were found suffering strokes, nerve damage, or other serious neurological effects.

This virus was considered to be a respiratory disease that affects the lungs. But on the other hand, the neuro specialists are saying that its effect on the brain might be a topic of concern now.

Michael Zandi who is from the UCL (department of neurology) said that “whether we will see an epidemic on a large scale of brain damage linked to pandemic perhaps similar to the encephalitis lethargica outbreak in 1920 and 1930s after the 1918 influenza pandemic remains to be seen”.

One of the UCL studies tells that some 9 patients had brain inflammations and were further detected with ADEM i.e. Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis. This is generally found in children which can be caused due to viral infections.

Before they were seeing one patient suffering AEDM per month but now it has gone to one person per week which they have called “concerning increase”.

One of the members who led the study said that Seeing that the situation of COVID-19 will prevail for some of the months but we do not know what will be its long term affects. So, to save people from the neurological problems the doctors must be aware as to the earlier the disease is diagnosed the earlier it can be treated.

Adrian Owen one of the neuroscientists at the UCL told that as there are millions of people tested positive for COVID-19 and if we have a number of them recovered, then those people can have mental impairments which can disturb their daily life.

Owen added that there has to be a more detailed study of these neurological illnesses. He is also an international research project at covidbrainstudy.com. Here at this platform, the positively tested patients can sign up to see whether there have been any mental impairments after the virus has been diagnosed in them.