UK neurologists on Wednesday published a report detailing serious neurological complications in 40 UK COVID-19 patients who had mild form of the disease.
The report indicated complications ranging from brain inflammation, delirium, nerve damage and stroke.
The University College London (UCL) experts report brings the attention back to those with mild symptoms, often treated at home with little supervision.
“We should be vigilant and look out for these complications in people who have had Covid-19.”Dr. Michael Zandi, Joint Senior Author
The researcher did say there is limited evidence and we don't know "whether we will see an epidemic on a large scale of brain damage linked to the pandemic."
They said follow-up studies would be required to check if the pandemic will leave long term neurological outcomes.
Among more than 40 UK patients, the neurological complication was the patient’s first and only symptom, The Guardian wrote.
Published in the journal Brain, the cases revealed a life-threatening condition called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (Adem).
At UCL’s Institute of Neurology, there was a rise in Adem cases from a month before the pandemic to two or three per week in April and May.
Among those, researchers discovered 10 cases of "temporary brain dysfunction" and delirium; 12 cases of brain inflammation; eight cases of strokes; and eight cases of nerve damage.
A good number of patients were diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, an immune reaction that hits the nerves and causes paralysis. It is fatal in 5% of cases. Their age varied from 16 to 85.
One woman hallucinated lions and monkeys in her house. Others reported numbness in their limbs or face, double vision, and disorientation. One severe patient was barely conscious, responding only when in pain.
However, the researchers are still trying to figure out the reason why people with Covid-19 are showing these brain complications. The virus wasn't detected in their brain fluid, hence it doesn't directly affect the brain.
These findings play a vital role in familiarising doctors around the world with newer symptoms and to observe and treat patients accordingly. For patients who aren't exhibiting critical respiratory issues such as trouble with breathing, it can be challenging to distinguish these brain complications in early stages. Whereas, for patients who are critically ill, their uncertain health can limit how much doctors can do to examine what's happening in their brain.
The authors suggested that further studies will be "essential" to understand how precisely the virus causes brain damage, and how to tackle it.
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