Jan 08, 2021 17:04:00

Damage confirmed in brain tissue of patients who died of coronavirus infection

The number of people infected with the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues to increase in Japan as well, and on January 7, 2021, a

state of emergency was issued to one metropolitan area and three prefectures, including Tokyo. When we investigated patients who died from being infected with such COVID-19, new damage to brain tissue was discovered.

Microvascular Injury in the Brains of Patients with Covid-19 | NEJM
https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMc2033369

Autopsies Reveal The Terrible Damage COVID-19 Can Inflict on The Human Brain
https://www.sciencealert.com/autopsies-reveal-the-terrible-damage-coronavirus-can-inflict-on-your-brain

Patients infected with the new coronavirus have been shown to cause symptoms such as delirium and dementia . In addition, there have been reports of major neurological problems even if the symptoms of COVID-19 are mild.

Research results show that new coronavirus infections cause serious damage to the brain even if they are mild --GIGAZINE

A research team led by doctor Myoung-Hwa Lee used a microscope to observe the brain tissue of 19 patients aged 5 to 73 years who died of infection with the new coronavirus. As a result, damage was found in the brain tissue of 10 patients.

The micrograph of the brain tissue actually observed looks like this. In the photo on the right, the substance that coagulates blood ' fibrinogen ' is dyed in green, and the part where the green lines are dense indicates that 'fibrinogen was secreted because the tissue was damaged and bleeding'. I will. From this observation, the research team concluded that 10 patients suffered minor injuries in their brains. In addition, according to Avindra Nath, a member of the research team, the damage was found not only in a specific part of the brain but also in multiple parts.

When the research team analyzed the patient's brain tissue, no new coronavirus was detected. 'This result shows that the damage to the brain tissue was not directly caused by the new coronavirus. The damage to the brain tissue may be due to the inflammation of the body caused by the virus. There is. '

The research team said that 'the conclusion should not be rushed' because the study was conducted with a small sample of 19 people, but the research result that brain tissue is damaged has been reported so far in the new Corona Consistent with the complications and sequelae of viral infections.

'We will continue our research to elucidate how the new coronavirus affects brain tissue and to clarify its short-term and long-term effects on patients,' said Nath.