The Brain Charity

New medical research suggests there could be a link between coronavirus and long-term neurological symptoms – known as long COVID.

Experts writing in the medical journal Brain first revealed serious brain disorders such as brain inflammation, delirium, nerve damage and stroke had emerged in patients even mildly affected by coronavirus.

Another journal, the New England Journal of Medicine, published a study documenting the neurological symptoms of Covid-19 patients – ranging from cognitive difficulties to confusion.

Now, more than 300 studies from across the globe have documented neurological conditions developing in Covid-19 patients – from headaches and loss of smell to aphasia, strokes and seizures. It is believed roughly 50% of people who had coronavirus will have experienced some of these symptoms.

Some experts believe they are caused by the brain being starved of oxygen during respiratory distress or as a by-product of the body’s inflammatory response, while others believe the virus itself could directly damage the brain stem.