While there is the acknowledged diagnosis that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus attacks the respiratory system, El Pais reports that there is growing evidence that it also affects the nervous system. Several studies based on thousands of Spanish patients show that most of these individuals developed at least one neurological problem.
El Pais reports that the Covid-19 manifested itself in a wide range of symptoms, ranging from headaches to comatose states. In a percentage of cases, neurological conditions were even the principal cause of death. Although these symptoms have been attributed to the body’s excessive immune response to Covid-19, some research indicates that the virus is directly attacking the brain.
“The Spanish Neurology Association (SEN) has collated the most recent studies carried out in Spain on the connection between the coronavirus, the brain and the entire nervous system. The research is varied; it includes investigations on how the virus changes a person’s sense of smell and taste, research on headaches in infected healthcare workers, and a study into strokes in 1,600 patients with Covid-19”, concluded El Pais.
The most significant piece of research is a registry called Albacovid, which studies the neurological conditions observed in 841 coronavirus patients in two hospitals in Albacete in the Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha during the peak of the crisis in March. The results, published in the specialist journal Neurology a few weeks ago, show that 57% of these patients developed one or several neurological symptoms.
El Pais / Reuters / Neurology
