The effects of COVID-19 on the brains of Covid long-haulers

Early on in the pandemic, HFSP alumna Fernanda De Felice, a neurobiologist at the Federal University, Brazil and Queen’s University, Canada, was concerned that COVID-19 poses a risk to the brain and about the potential neurological consequences of infection (De Felice et al., 2020, Nature). However, clinicians are still in the early phases of understanding the degree of impact of the disease on the brain. Symptoms are variable and diverse. De Felice is concerned that evidence of cases from hospitalised patients may present a skewed picture as information is lacking from patients who suffered mild symptoms and no respiratory problems. According to De Felice there is uncertainty as to why COVID-19 has contrasting effects leaving some patients with symptoms for years while others experience less severe impacts on their health. She is currently examining the long-term consequences of COVID-19 infection on cognitive and brain functions in patients recovering from the infection. More knowledge is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms to establish the impact of COVID-19 on the brain.

Link to article in Nature