Coronavirus attacks the brain and triggers severe Covid-19 disease in mice

America, Animals, Coronavirus, Health, Infection, Long Covid, Mental Heath, Science, Testing, USA

“Our thinking that [Covid-19] is more of a respiratory disease is not necessarily true,” Kumar said. “Once it infects the brain it can affect anything because the brain is controlling your lungs, the heart, everything. The brain is a very sensitive organ. It’s the central processor for everything.”

Georgia State University biology researchers have found that infecting the nasal passages of mice with the virus that causes COVID-19 led to a rapid, escalating attack on the brain that triggered severe illness, even after the lungs were successfully clearing themselves of the virus.

Assistant professor Mukesh Kumar, the study’s lead researcher, said the findings have implications for understanding the wide range in symptoms and severity of illness among humans who are infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

“Our thinking that it’s more of a respiratory disease is not necessarily true,” Kumar said. “Once it infects the brain it can affect anything because the brain is controlling your lungs, the heart, everything. The brain is a very sensitive organ. It’s the central processor for everything.”

Georgia State University news report is here

The study report is here

 

 

 

 

Image by Tibor Janosi Mozes from Pixabay

** This post was originally published on February 6, 2021 **