Researchers warn of severe long-term damage to the brain after Covid following new study
UNILAD Tech • • health
Key Points:
- Six years after the Covid-19 outbreak, long Covid remains a significant health issue, affecting an estimated 400 million people worldwide with persistent symptoms beyond the initial infection.
- Research indicates that Covid survivors face an increased risk of cognitive impairments, including dementia-level decline in older adults, with evidence from cognitive tests, health records, and symptom surveys.
- Studies have found elevated levels of phosphorylated tau, a protein linked to early brain degeneration, in people with long-term neurological symptoms, suggesting Covid may accelerate neurodegenerative processes without directly causing Alzheimer's.
- Imaging and clinical studies reveal brain changes in long Covid patients, such as impaired blood flow and structural enlargement in areas related to immune regulation and waste clearance, correlating with Alzheimer's markers.
- NIH-led clinical trials are exploring treatments targeting inflammation to restore brain function in long Covid patients, emphasizing the need for affected individuals to seek specialized medical and research support.
