Long covid and the brain

Introduction

Overview of long COVID

Long COVID or Post COVID conditions, also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection(PASC),refers to a range of symptoms that continue for weeks, months, or even years after the patient initially recovering from the coronavirus disease(COVID-19). The condition can affect anyone who was infected by COVID-19, regardless of the severity of their initial infection. The symptoms of long term COVID can various between each individual and be very complicated because it sometimes impact multiple organism systems. The complexity of the symptoms often leads to post-COVID conditions being diagnosed as other diseases.

Fig.1

Although COVID is primarily target to respiration systems, there is growing evidence that COVID-19 can have long-term effects on the brain, including potential links to increased risks of neurological diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease in the future. Corona virus was unusual because it had been found the virus across blood-brain barrier. The dissecting samples shows the virus is preserved in brain tissue over months and it is still active.

Neurological Symptoms

Diagnosis and Evaluation

Diagnose Long COVID is an exclusion process, indicating that it is only diagnosed after doctor excluding all the possible disease or causes that lead the symptoms. It is a tricky process that for sometimes doctors will reveal some hidden diseases that even the patient doesn't know before. Due to the various symptoms patient experienced, there is no standard treatment for long COVID.