Amsterdam UMC reports this on 6 June. The new study is funded by the ZonMx COVID-19 program. Several studies are underway into the relationship between lung covid and specific organs such as the heart or respiratory muscle, but damage in the brain had not yet been demonstrated. They may provide an explanation for the fact that people have symptoms of fatigue and cognitive complaints for a long time after a coronavirus infection. It is striking that inflammation is visible in the entire brain area, according to scientists from Amsterdam UMC. A larger study should provide more clarity.
Scans
The two patients have a different disease course. The male patient was in the ICU and is partially back at work. The younger female patient had mild corona complaints and is still under the Sickness Benefits Act. In both cases, brain inflammation can be seen throughout the brain. For science, these are important starting points for further research. The man and woman underwent advanced, expensive and for them very taxing scans, which are not done in regular care. UMC Utrecht has now made a selection of patients who can undergo this additional examination. Patients cannot sign up for this.
It is still unknown how to treat patients with these inflammations. It is also unknown whether every patient with lung covid shows the same inflammatory response.