Thread by @WesElyMD

1/🧵Important = Brain Injury in #COVID💥
 
📍N=251 hospitalized COVID pts had biomarkers of neurodegeneration (dying brain cells).

📍Previously healthy COVID pts had ⬆️er levels than Alzheimer’s pts!

How do we understand this?
Hint: #Vaccinate yourself

bit.ly/3frTcbB

2/ These elevated brain biomarkers indicate disease to different types of brain cells (eg, astrocytes, glial cells, neurons) in COVID patients. These were early unvaccinated pandemic patients. Vaccinated people will be less prone. WHY?

3/ There isn’t a ton of brain invasion by COVID. We think most of the 🧠 injury is INDIRECT. Meaning downstream injury from 1. upstream inflammation 2. blood clotting & 3. heavy sedation causing #delirium, which we proved to be a #dementia risk factor!

bit.ly/3qCaOrQ

4/ So a COVID patient who avoids hospitalization by being vaccinated also avoids the BIGGEST risks for this type of brain injury – which are an ICU stay, ventilators, and sedation. That scenario leads to #PICS & #LongCOVID, which include acquired dementia & PTSD & depression.

5/ That’s why neural damage in this study makes a LOT of sense for May 2020 COVID pts in the hospital prior to vaxx.

Does this mean #Omicron patients who don’t get real sick are immune to brain 🧠 Dz & Cognitive Impairment?

Absolutely NOT.
 

https://twitter.com/CIBScenter/status/1480983161404284935?s=20

6/fin
📍Be clear – any healthy person who gets this virus COULD end up with the nightmare of having an ICU stay (or pass it to another).

📍It’s a gamble. None of us knows how OUR body will react.

📍Too many people have told me, “Doc, I thought I’d skate through!”
 
#Booster

This beautiful 🧵👇 by Dr. @VirusesImmunity adds beautiful science to this topic of cognitive dysfunction & 🧠 injury from #Covid. Importantly she tackles immune system dysregulation - obviously a major consideration for the onset of #LongCovid ~100 days after acute infection.

https://twitter.com/virusesimmunity/status/1482768657394642953