Scientists warn of a possible wave of brain damage associated with Covid-19

Scientists warned on Wednesday of a possible wave of brain damage from coronavirus infection, as new evidence indicated that Covid-19 could lead to severe nervous system complications, including inflammation, psychosis, and delirium.

A study by researchers at the University of London described 43 cases of Covid-19 patients who experienced either temporary brain dysfunction, strokes, nerve damage or other serious effects on the brain

The research supports recent studies that also concluded that the disease can damage the brain

“We’ll see if we’re going to see a large-scale pandemic of pandemic-related brain damage – it might be similar to the carotid encephalitis pandemic in the 1920s and 1930s after the influenza pandemic in 1918,” said Michael Zandy, of the University of London’s Neuroscience Institute who co-supervised the study.

Covid-19, the disease caused by the emerging coronavirus, is mainly a respiratory disorder that affects the lungs, but neurologists and brain doctors say evidence shows that it has a brain effect that causes concern.

In the University of London study published in the magazine (Brain), nine patients suffering from encephalitis were diagnosed with a rare type called acute encephalitis, which is more prevalent in children and may be caused by a viral infection.