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We Just Got More Evidence That Long COVID Is a Brain Injury (storage.science.social)
submitted 12 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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We Just Got More Evidence That Long COVID Is a Brain Injury

The exact nature of long COVID is still coming to light, but we just got some of the best evidence yet that this debilitating condition stems from a brain injury.

Using high-resolution scanners, researchers at the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford have shown microscopic, structural abnormalities in the brainstems of those recovering from COVID-19.

Signs of brain inflammation were present up to 18 months after first contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

"We show that the brainstem is a site of vulnerability to long-term effects of COVID-19, with persistent changes evident in the months after hospitalization," the authors of the study conclude.

https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awae215

#health #science #biology #news @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 36 minutes ago (1 children)

I think it’s important for people to realize:

A very bad cold or flu can totally damage your body and is how lots of older folks go unfortunately.

Covid without a vaccine would have been a terrible sickness.

What bugs me the most is so many people who don’t understand logical fallacies kept saying just wait a year or two and you’ll see mass deaths and weakened immunity… and they are conveniently silent now, probably blaming fires on DEI or something stupid like that.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 14 minutes ago* (last edited 12 minutes ago)

conveniently silent

Always. When the previous conspiracy theory / rapture date / return of JFK / illuminati plot doesn't turn out to be true, there's no talking about it or self reflection, it's just right onto the next conspiracy theory / rapture date / return of JFK / illuminati plot.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 hour ago

I need to get my booster

[–] [email protected] 46 points 3 hours ago (3 children)

Look, I know this isn't exactly the most appropriate community to post a comment like this. I do however need to say as someone that has had debilitating brain fog for a couple of years thanks to covid: "...fuck."

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

It sucks but the recovery is still possible. I imagine gaslighting and not taking it seriously by people is debilitating.

When you suffer a brain injury from a stroke everyone will be supportive and offer help but when it is long covid people will be like “what? you are probably imagining things” both aliments are recoverable but it must suck to be constantly denied and not treated seriously

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 hours ago (3 children)

That makes 2 of us. Been living with brain fog, memory loss, inability to pick out words when speaking, and now I set something down on a countertop, turn around, turn back and look and I literally can't see the item I set there. I see everything else, even the countertop where the item is sitting. Generally I either panic or I get pissed at myself for being so stupid. And then all of a sudden, the item magically returns to view as a stare at it.

Oh, and just for fun, breathing is still hard. And all medical testing shows my lungs are just fine and there should be problem. My pulmonologist tells me I'm one of the lucky few to be so chosen-- in jest. (I had to search "lung doctor" because I couldn't remember the word pulmonologist just now)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 50 minutes ago

Oh, and just for fun, breathing is still hard. And all medical testing shows my lungs are just fine and there should be problem.

autonomic issue?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 hour ago

The inability to see something I've literally just dealt with after a short time has been happening to me for 45 years... since I suffered a TBI as a kid. I've never heard someone else talk about not just losing things but the madness of being unable to process the sensory input of something I WAS JUST HOLDING.

Thank you for highlighting this!

I've had covid twice now, despite original vaccinations, yearly boosters and wearing a mask constantly when around others. The firsf was likely from a careless dentist and second from an anti-vaxx family member. Thankfully no long covid to make my previously smushed brain even worse.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)

You're fine, it's anecdotal but perspectives are still nice to see sometimes. Quite a few people around me had the same issue, a few died. (Yes, they had refused the vaccine)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

I just found out recently that a friend i kinda stopped talking to as much that went down the right wing rabbit hole and went from Obama supporter to MAGA supporter(and still is today) was antivax and got covid after his father was hospitalized with it, and was also hospitalized with it, and brushed it off as not that bad. And yes the vaccine was available by the time they got it.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 hours ago

I believe the signs have always pointed to it being a one-two punch of lingering inflammation and actual lasting physical damage to the blood vessels, including in the brain. The fatigue symptoms dissipated for me after about a year, but the inability to focus and the shite memory has not and likely will not go away. Also my muscles got fucked by the rhabdo and my EDS got much worse, but hey…

Every new piece of scholarly evidence is good to have.

[–] [email protected] 99 points 9 hours ago (4 children)

Better not get vaccinated, because the vaccine kills you and covid is just another harmless flu anyway… oh wait.

Seriously though, antivaxxers already have some sort of psychological issues going on, so adding a literal brain injury to the list might not even make a big difference at that point.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 hours ago

Things can always be worse.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 3 hours ago (3 children)

COVID makes you dumber, but what happens if you start out dumb?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 49 minutes ago

There is no floor except the for the artificial one built out of privilege.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 hours ago

The current administration awards you a place in office.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Even lower intelligence score? As far as D&D rules are concerned, you would get knocked unconscious if your intelligence drops to zero.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Should probably also limit new max intelligence after you regain consciousness. That seems to be the case IRL.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 59 minutes ago)

Sounds like a fun (and terrifying) idea for homebrew rules. I asked Mistral to write suitable rules, and here's what what I ended up with.

--

When a character contracts COVID-19, they must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 15). On a failed save, the character develops Long COVID. The effects of Long COVID are varied and can include fatigue, shortness of breath, and other physical ailments. However, the most feared complication is brain injury.

Brain Injury

Brain injury from Long COVID reduces a character's Intelligence score. To determine the extent of the damage, the character must make a roll based on their current Intelligence score:

Roll a d20: The result of this roll will determine the severity of the brain injury. Modify the Roll: Subtract the character's Intelligence modifier from the roll. For example, if the character has an Intelligence score of 14 (modifier +2), subtract 2 from the d20 roll. Determine Intelligence Loss:

  • 1-5: Minor brain injury. The character loses 1 point of Intelligence.
  • 6-10: Moderate brain injury. The character loses 2 points of Intelligence.
  • 11-15: Severe brain injury. The character loses 3 points of Intelligence.
  • 16-20: Critical brain injury. The character loses 4 points of Intelligence.

New Hard Maximum

Once the Intelligence loss is determined, the character's new Intelligence score becomes their hard maximum for the rest of the game. This means that even with magical healing, potions, or other means of restoring Intelligence, the character cannot exceed this new maximum.

Oh, wait. That means that if you do drop to zero, you'll be in permanent coma for the rest of the game without any hope of recovery. I guess I should add some exception, that allows to you recover back to 1 point, but no higher than that.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

I went looking for data, because my knee-jerk was to assume people who get vaccinated are more likely to live, and thus more likely to get long covid.

But here's what I found. The researchers found that the rate of new Long COVID cases declined with each variant, and that the numbers of cases were significantly lower in the vaccinated cohorts.

I'm just adding to the discourse.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 hours ago

Indeed! Too bad facts don’t work when talking to conspiracy theorists. Regardless, that’s an interesting observation to the rest of us.

[–] [email protected] 50 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Well yeah, that's where the chip goes

[–] [email protected] 26 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

I prefer consuming chips orally. Potato or paint, I'm easy.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 hours ago

Hmmmm lead based paint....