Comments closedSome may think COVID-19 affects just the lungs. What was found is that this new MRI technique that we created is very good at identifying changes to the brain due to COVID-19. COVID-19 changes the white matter in the brain.
According to a new study, rapid antigen tests may provide false negatives — suggesting that a person is infection-free, even though other parts of their respiratory tract are teeming with the virus. The researchers found that most people showed a delay of several days between when the virus first appeared in the throat or saliva and when it appeared in the nose. Importantly, 15 of the 17 study participants had high levels of the virus for at least a day prior to getting a positive result.
Comments closedRetrospective analysis of national data led by investigators from Mass Eye and Ear estimates that over 20 million COVID patients experienced loss of smell or taste in 2021, with a large portion of patients never fully recovering these senses.
Comments closedA retrospective study by researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, a member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, investigated the loss of olfactory and gustatory senses and estimated that about a quarter of Americans who had COVID-19 reported only partial or no recovery of taste or smell.
Comments closedMetformin—a cheap, safe, and widely available diabetes drug—could reduce the incidence of long covid if given during the acute phase of covid-19, a new study indicates.
A two week course of metformin given within three days of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 led to 40% fewer long covid diagnoses over the following 10 months compared with people who had taken placebo, according to a randomised controlled trial.
Leave a commentResearchers at The University of Queensland have discovered that SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses can cause brain cells to fuse, initiating malfunctions that lead to chronic neurological symptoms.
Comments closedResearchers have demonstrated that a SARS-CoV-2 infection can induce brain cells to fuse together, with severe impacts on the functioning of neurons. Neurons may fuse together with other neurons or glia, and larger multicellular syncytia may be formed. The fusion of neurons may be one of the causes of the cognitive issues associated with COVID-19.
Comments closedAccording to a recent study, over 70% of nearly 850,000 US household COVID-19 transmissions originated with a child. The researchers concluded that children had an important role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2, and that in-person school also resulted in substantial spread.
Comments closedA new Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) study found elevated levels of inflammation in the brains of patients who report persistent symptoms of long COVID.
Using advanced brain scanning with positron emission tomography (PET), the researchers found elevated levels of the protein TSPO, a brain marker of inflammation, in patients with onset of depression within several months after a COVID-19 infection.
Comments closedCOVID-19 continues to have profound health and economic consequences around the world. Aside from the large number of deaths from this viral infection, there is…
Comments closedResearchers are investigating a promising technique that may be used to check for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. A frequency comb involves the use of lasers to look for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are associated with COVID infections.
Comments closedMasks work. Especially respirator-style N95 masks.
Amid an ongoing pandemic and outbreaks of influenza and RSV caused by airborne viruses, arguing over the virus-blocking power of masks remains one of the COVID era’s signature follies. Disconcertingly, despite decades of evidence of their efficacy, some of the disagreement comes from a few in the medical field itself, misusing science and endangering lives.
Comments closedIn a new study, researchers examined the cognitive impacts of COVID-19 on people with dementia. They found that having COVID-19 rapidly accelerated the structural and functional brain deterioration of patients with dementia, regardless of the type of dementia being experienced.
Comments closed“People with repeat infections were twice as likely to die and three times as likely to be hospitalized, have heart problems or experience blood clots than were people who were infected only once. In a surprising twist, vaccination status didn’t seem to have an impact — although other studies show vaccines to be protective. Whether these results hold true for the general population is up for debate. The Veterans Affairs cohort was made up mostly of older white men, which is not representative of the wider population.”
Comments closedA new study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports, has discovered that infection with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid) has a significant impact on cognitive function in patients with pre-existing dementia.
Comments closedMore than 10% of children in Japan who developed acute brain syndrome after infection with COVID-19 have died, results of a nationwide survey recently announced by a health ministry research team has shown.
The survey identified 34 cases of acute encephalopathy associated with COVID-19 infection among those under 18 between January 2020 and May 2022. The team analyzed 31 patients who did not have any underlying illnesses that could be responsible for causing the brain disease.
Comments closedComments closed[I]t appears that, regardless of gender and other demographic factors, COVID-19 infection at baseline is correlated with increased problems with emotion regulation six months later: depression, anxiety and agitation.
Comments closedWe now know that an infection can trigger several heart diseases. There is a clear expectation in the coming years that consultations for various cardiovascular conditions will increase
