COVID and the Brain

Posted on by Thor

I know I have written about this before but there are new studies that confirm the damage that even a mild COVID infection can cause to the brain.

A new study published in Nature Microbiology found that a COVID infection is associated with short and long term neurological complications.

Cultures were collected and compared, from people without COVID and postmortem samples from people with COVID. COVID is known to cause multi organ damage.

In another study brain autopsies were done on 44 unvaccinated individuals who died from COVID-19. The goal was to map the cell structure damage. The virus was found to replicate in respiratory and multiple non-respiratory organs including the brain. The virus was found to be replicating in the brain as much as 230 days after infection. In some patients the virus can cause systemic infection and persist in the body for months.

COVID can cause multi organ failure and shock. Some who survive, suffer from Long COVID for months or years.

COVID can cause severe neurological symptoms. COVID causes neurons in the brain to fuse. Every neuron that fused with any of the cells that hold nerve cells in place, presented a complete loss in neuronal activity. This fusion is a progressive event. Symptoms can consist of headache, fever, confusion, epileptic seizures, and a loss of taste or smell. Long-term and chronic neurological manifestations derived from viral neuroinfections are finally gaining attention five years into the pandemic. However this is an election year so there will be little talk about COVID. Hospitalizations are down to about 6000 COVID patients per week, which is the lowest it has been for years. However I am waiting for the shoe to drop on another wave.

The illustration consists of MRI scans of my brain. I am fascinated at how it interconnects with the eyes and nose. If you ever wonder why I mask indoors, it is because I value this squishy little organ that throws so many random thoughts around each day. When neurons fire, I can see things vividly. Feeling the need to fit in with the crowd is not my strong suit. Crowded restaurants and social events no longer hold any appeal. Traveling to film festivals, promoting COVID Dystopia are my one exception, but I remain masked from start to finish. Perhaps in my health’s favor, many festivals are not willing to screen the film.

Glancing inside my skull and neck.

Posted on by Thor

I’ve started seeing doctors again about finding a solution to constant head aches and neck pain. This has resulted in constant blood tents and getting MRI’s of my skull and neck. It also results in testing my patience in waiting rooms. This fellow across from me was able to nod off while he waited.

An MRI is an adventure. You lay down on a white plank and a face and neck clamp is hinged over your head to keep your head still, much like in a roller coaster. Then you are rolled back into a tight cylinder to wait. Their is one tiny mirror inside which allows you to glance at the technician behind the controls. Sketching would have been impossible. The metal on the pencil and the spiral binding on the sketchbook would have caused havoc because of the huge magnets that must spin around inside the machine.

What followed was a loud series of screeches, clicks and beeps. I imagined they set the beat to music and I danced to the tones inside my head. I didn’t move a muscle. If there was something wrong in there, I wanted them to find it.

At the headache doctors office, I listened as Dr. Scharfman listed a series of symptoms of the patient in the room next to me in his sing song voice. Maybe some of the symptoms are just in the patients head rather than being caused by an incurable pinched nerve. No doctor has ever offered a solution to pain. It is far too mercurial. They only offer increasing dosages of drugs. I had a doctor try to burn the nerve that might be causing the problems at the 5th disk of my vertebrae, but he prayed to God to guide his hands and I suspect god didn’t listen.

I’ve decided to start running again each morning at 7am. Having a more active lifestyle isn’t a cure but it couldn’t hurt. Well, I take that back. It has been several years since I ran a 5k and my legs feel like lead. I’m just jogging maybe a quarter mile around my neighborhood, but I’m pleased that I can still go the distance. I’m also going to start researching neck exercises online. I stretch my neck each morning in the shower but I need to strengthen those muscles which might help. At least I am taking steps to find my own cure.