Catch Covid? Your brain shrinks.

[thewayne]

Not much, but it does. The identifiable area is that concerned with your sense of smell! The amount is small, 0.5-2%, and it doesn't seem to be particularly impairing, which is interesting.

The study was conducted by the UK BioBank, studies that are part of the National Health Service. It is a collection of brain scans from people pre-Covid who contracted it and later again had a brain scan, so they had before and afters that could be compared. And the results were interesting. They did find some shrinkage in other parts of the brain, but in areas that they couldn't say "This" part does "That" function, where as your sense of smell is in a fairly well-defined area.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/03/extensive-study-finds-small-drop-in-brain-volume-after-covid-19/

Comments

[motodraconis]

I read about this, there has been talk of this for a while. It's part of my terror of catching covid, I'm thick enough already without losing more brain power!

[thewayne]

Nah, with me there's not much to damage up there in my skull. :-)

[disneydream06]

I don't think I can afford brain shrinkage. :o
Hugs, Jon

[silveradept]

Brain shrinkage certainly doesn't seem like it could have any good results. Yet another reason not to give in to the idea that everything is fine and we should all just get it.

[thewayne]

Plus the problem that an Omicron infection does not confer long-lasting antibody resistance.