The Science Behind How the Coronavirus Affects the Brain | WSJ

New research could help explain why thousands of Covid-19 survivors are facing debilitating neurological symptoms months after initially getting sick. WSJ breaks down the science behind how the coronavirus affects the brain, and what this could mean for long-haul patients. Illustration: Nick Collingwood/WSJ

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[joeblankenship]

I haven't even had covid, and I wish I could be who I was pre-covid.

[davidprothro]

I felt mine go up my brain stem. I was down for about 6 months and often thought I wouldn’t make it. The inflammation in my brain would cause pressure in my optic nerves and letters would be missing from words. I took large amounts of CBD which seemed to relieve the inflammation and slept most of the day everyday. About two months ago I got better and haven’t had another relapse.

I’ve been taking lion's mane mushroom powder every morning with my tea for about 4 months, and that has helped tremendously. I even played a game of chess on my computer and managed to stay focused the whole game.

[michelbruns]

"my brain doesn't work most of the time"
-half of the us population

[BIGTONY]

Two and a half months after my first covid19 symptoms I have mild memory loss, taste and smell not back to normal yet and episodes of irregular heartbeat. My case was so mild I thought it was just some allergy bothering me. Another symptom, I wake up with a horrible burning smell in my nose three to four times a week. I call it the bully virus because it seems that it goes straight for your weak parts. Wish all who is sick a speedy and normal recovery.

[zackabee]

Well they’re basically describing an autoimmune disease. Neurological, psychological, physically drained.... I’ve experienced these symptoms for 6 years... I couldn’t work for 2 year and had no support from nobody not even the state..

[iVaasuReddy]

I got covid with mild symptoms. i though i was completely out of it. I applied for my masters. Got into uni. Now i am unable to recall my subjects and theories. My concentration levels are dropped. I am Emotionally unstable with anxiety and fear. 😥😥

[bobstroud]

I’ve been living with the long term effects of polio that I had back in 1953, when I was not yet four years old. All the brain symptoms are similar to what I’m experiencing. I didn’t know about the long term affects until thirty five years after I “recovered “ from my initial illness.

[cece]

New neurons can be formed. I'm praying for new neurons. I had Covid in January. Brain inflammation. Tremors and weakness that went away fairly quickly. Memory fog that seems to be improving, but not entirely gone. I search for words and they do come after a pause. Sometimes I switch similar sounding words (like inflation for inflammation), but that too is disappearing after 5 months. My spelling of words is worse. I read outloud as an exercise. I play word games. Trying to stimulate those functions in my brain. I'm better, but not 100%. Also cut out sugar and trying to eat low inflammatory diet. I do intermittent fasting, which can promote neuron development. Best wishes to everyone struggling with this neuro stuff.

[newbeginning]

I'm in tears right now because I'm going through the same thing

[nightowl]

This is such scary crazy journey. I’ve muddling along for over a year. I have cognitive issues, brain fog and short term memory. It really feels like dementia. I feel like I’m 90yrs old, and I’m only 64! I have poly neuropathy that’s got worse most of the time I can’t feel my legs.

[catalinadelarosa]

I had severe Covid. 2 months after recovering from covid, I woke up with a man whose name I cannot recall. He turned up to be my husband. That is how covid can affect your brain. This is just one of my brain fog experience

[kdub]

I’m a long hauler (March 2nd) and I also have generalized anxiety disorder so dr.’s literally won’t listen to a word I say. No matter the circumstance everything is just your anxiety. Trust me anyone who’s a long hauler knows what I’m saying when I say the way our memory is affected is insane, I feel like a different person post and pre-COVID. My reading comprehension is terrible, my spelling has dropped off drastically I literally had to ask Siri how to doll the word “wet” it’s like when a word is on the top of your tongue and you forget but it happens all the time and multiple times a day. Even long term memories have vanished and the emotions that were attached to them. I feel like I have Dementia. I’m a 37 yr old man I got COVID at 36 just 2 weeks before my 37th birthday and my brain is not the same, and I can get completely out of breathe incredibly fast. It’s scary and I hope and pray no one reading this has ever feel what this is like. STAY SAFE! EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU’RE BEING OVERBOARD YOU’RE NOT! 🙏

[DustManvD]

Ironically people stuck in their homes for 9 months also show all of these symptoms.

[LiftandBeer]

Alright we can't blame covid for every person who is "cognitively impaired" in Ohio. That was going on long before covid.

[Horesmi]

A friend of my grandma went berserk after falling into coma for three days. He beat up two nurses and then could not remember that.

[Real_The_Goof]

My head keeps having pressure.. had Covid in 2020.... this year and in fact, a few months ago i started getting sharp pains all over my head, and now there's pressure.. and confusion and difficulties thinking.. it's scary and no one can tell me anything..

[deepachaudhury]

After taking my second dose of COVID vaccine I have suddenly started getting anxiety and panic attacks and have been depressed. I’m really in a terrible mess for the last 6 months.

[DonZenOfficial]

Never forget that our entire government at every step this year, turned their backs on every one of us. I hope we all learn that the worst thing we can do is blindly support ANY party or ANY politician. Time we treat them the way we were meant to. We are private citizens, they are public servants. For some reason we keep letting them get away with this.

[druellapartee]

I FEEL You!… I HATE what COVID-19 has down to my Thinking Ability!😢😩😩😩

[jjevans]

What about the effects of the vaccine on the brain after getting covid.