Post-COVID-19: New study finds virus causes brain damage similar to Alzheimer's disease

Many people may just have a runny nose or show no symptoms, but for others, the corona virus will leave a severe impact, also known as post-COVID-19 sequelae. A study by scientists shows that even people who are mildly infected and do not feel cognitive impairment can experience memory and cognitive problems after COVID-19.

Brain damage after COVID-19

People with COVID-19 may experience mild to severe brain damage such as: brain fog, cognitive decline, confusion, chronic headaches, encephalitis or stroke. According to a Harvard University review, between 22% and 32% of patients experience brain fog due to post-COVID-19 sequelae. This is a term used to describe a state of slow thinking, sluggishness, difficulty maintaining concentration and attention. In some cases, there may be impairment or difficulty in remembering, accessing and processing information including visual function and spatial orientation. Even symptoms of disturbance of smell and taste are caused by changes in nervous system function.

A study published in the journal Alzheimer & Dementia has shed new light on the underlying physiology behind post-COVID-19 neurological problems. Specifically, the new study 'Alzheimer's-like signaling in the brains of COVID-19 patients' has shown some disturbing findings:

Attacks ACE2 . receptors

Since 2021, scientists have discovered that the mutant coronavirus protein binds to ACE2 receptors on the cell surfaces of many organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, and the endothelium of blood vessels. That explains why COVID-19 damages multiple systems and organs, and patients can die from multiple organ failure.

Cardiologist Andrew R. Marks, chair of the Department of Physiology and Cytology at Columbia University in Manhattan, led the study analyzing brain tissue collected from 10 people who died from COVID-19. Among them are 4 women aged 38-80 and 6 men aged 67-84.

The results of the study indicated that the corona virus activated inflammatory and oxidative stress signaling pathways, leading to increased phosphorylation of the 'tau' protein. This is a protein that helps stabilize the inner skeleton of neurons (neurons) in the brain. This skeleton consists of interconnected tubules and microtubules that rapidly transport nutrients and essential substances as well as nerve signals to different parts of the neuron. In Alzheimer's disease, abnormal tau proteins are also formed, causing the microtubules in neurons to become fragmented.

Brain is 'leaky'

Dr. Marks and his colleagues found that the nerve cells of patients who died from COVID-19 were significantly reduced in calbidin, the protein that helps close ion channels. This is as dangerous as a short circuit of an electrical conductor. When the ion channels are not closed, Ca2+ will 'leak' causing imbalance of charge between the inside and outside of the cell membrane causing many health problems.

Research suggests that 'tau' pathology may result from increased phosphorylation and oxidative stress of ion channels. These pathological changes are considered to be important factors in the post-COVID-19 neurological manifestations, especially 'brain fog'. This could be a potential therapeutic target to improve neurological symptoms.

COVID-19 attacks the cerebellum

Patients with Alzheimer's disease mainly have 'tau' protein disturbances in cortical neurons and very rarely in the cerebellum.

However, according to this Columbia University study, COVID-19 causes 'tau' pathology in both the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum. This may explain the recent finding that 74% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have coordination deficits. According to medicine, the cerebellum is involved in balance, spatial orientation, coordination of movements, language and posture.

Does the COVID-19 vaccine cause nerve damage?

The makers of the COVID-19 vaccine have used a variety of methods, but the ultimate goal is to create a protein that resembles the spike protein of the coronavirus. It is this spike protein that helps the virus attach to the cell's ACE2 receptors. This begs the question, do vaccines cause the same neurological damage as COVID-19?

Stephanie Seneff, a senior research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of the book Toxic Legacy, is concerned that the COVID-19 vaccine also has the potential to cause brain damage. . "The vaccine produces a mutant protein, which is part of the virus that binds to the ACE2 receptors," she said. I suspect this means the vaccine could also disable the receptors and cause similar nerve damage."

Seneff added that brain damage from vaccines may be more common than viral infections. She explained: 'The virus only enters the brain when a person has a compromised immune system. But the vaccine is injected into the muscle, which means it overcomes natural barriers that would normally keep the virus from leaving the brain."

In May 2021, Stephanie Seneff and Dr. Greg Nigh, an oncologist based in Portland, Oregon, published a paper in the International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research. peer-reviewed, which explains their hypothesis that vaccines using mRNA technology could be worse than contracting COVID-19.

Since then, Seneff said she has studied reports of vaccine side effects on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) VAERS system. She found that up to 96% of reports in 2021 pointed to neurological problems associated with the COVID-19 vaccine. These neurological manifestations include memory disturbances, problems with mobility, difficulty swallowing, and loss of smell.

Ms Seneff said: 'Strikingly, the data suggest neurological problems following the use of the COVID-19 vaccine. I honestly don't know why people aren't completely shocked by these numbers. Compared to other vaccines, these [COVID-19] vaccines appear to be extremely dangerous'.recovering post-COVID-19 physical and mental health.