Althouse: "A new study offers the first clear evidence that, in some people, the coronavirus invades brain cells, hijacking them to make copies of itself."

September 10, 2020

"A new study offers the first clear evidence that, in some people, the coronavirus invades brain cells, hijacking them to make copies of itself."

"The virus also seems to suck up all of the oxygen nearby, starving neighboring cells to death. It’s unclear how the virus gets to the brain or how often it sets off this trail of destruction. Infection of the brain is likely to be rare, but some people may be susceptible because of their genetic backgrounds, a high viral load or other reasons.... 'Days after infection, and we already see a dramatic reduction in the amount of synapses,' Dr. Muotri said. 'We don’t know yet if that is reversible or not.'"

The NYT reports.

51 comments:

TreeJoe said...: The data (not yet confirmed insights) on this virus is like nothing I've ever seen. The bradykinin theory and the evidence showing this is a vascular disease rather than respiratory, is startling. And news stories and medical journals about stuff like this (i.e. it weakens and then crosses the blood/brain barrier) is terrifying in a highly contagious virus that is 6+ months into the pandemic.

On the flip side, we likely have 30-50 million infected americans and probably 10-30x that globally and the vast majority show almost no significant signs of illness.

My guess is that this is one badass virus to get exposed to in high quantities (i.e. initial viral load) if you are older or immunosuppressed. And in such cases we are going to see all sorts of bizarre and troubling outcomes.

And that it won't be applicable to the general pop; 9/10/20, 10:24 AM
Yancey Ward said...: The virus definitely makes people stupid. The effect is so powerful, it happens even in the absence of an actual infection.

This is just the latest bullshit entry from Karenland. It is evidence that the actual pandemic is now in full retreat in the US.; 9/10/20, 10:27 AM
rcocean said...: The upside is:

No one except political obsessives care what Woodward writes.
The book would've been a hit job regardless.
If the NYT/WaPo would be attacking Trump over something else if the book was unavailable.

Remember the Goal is to have non-stop negative coverage of Trump - 95% of the time. This is just a handy stick. If it didn't exist the democrat media would find another one.; 9/10/20, 10:28 AM
Nonapod said...: At this point I think I'd prefer a moratorium on all reporting of the results of any "studies" involving covid-19/sars-cov-2 in the mdeia until long after a vaccine has been widely distributed. I don't think it serves the public in any way to create all these new worries about what are almost certainly exceptionally rare circumstances. It just click bait profiteering by the media.; 9/10/20, 10:29 AM
rcocean said...: Biden has said Trump killed thousands by not acting in time. But refused to say why he kept having rallies in March 2020, or was against the travel ban. Or talk about CV-19 until the shutdown. The Democrats/Press seem to think people are idiots and they can lie about things that happened six months ago, without people going "Wait, that didn't happen!".

Go back and look at when other countries locked down. Look at when facui/CDC started recommending everyone wear masks. Look at all the heat Trump took from Biden and D's for shutting down travel to the EU and China. Look at when people started dying and where.

Can Trump cut through all the lies? Are people smart enough not to fall for the lies? we'll see.; 9/10/20, 10:33 AM
ga6 said...: In other words the virus turns some people into Democrats..; 9/10/20, 10:34 AM
rcocean said...: Remember all the panic among the sportswriters about the NBA, MLB, and NFL starting up? THEY WERE KILLING PEOPLE TO MAKE MONEY they screamed. Now, its crickets. Are the sportswriters going to apologize for the hysteria? Hell no.; 9/10/20, 10:35 AM
Leland said...: I'm skeptical of this science.; 9/10/20, 10:36 AM
Temujin said...: It's funny. Most things that come to us in container loads from China are crap. Built like crap, they don't look good, last, or work long. But this virus...this they put together very well. It's loaded. It does everything. It's the most complete work ever sent to us from China.; 9/10/20, 10:36 AM
Scott said...: 'Days after infection, and we already see a dramatic reduction in the amount of synapses,' Dr. Muotri said. 'We don’t know yet if that is reversible or not.'

The impaired brain function promoted by the virus is the reason why Trump wants everyone to get infected with COVID 19. It's obvious to everyone that the smarter you are, the more likely you'll vote for Biden. Only dumb people vote for Trump.; 9/10/20, 10:37 AM
Krumhorn said...: I feel stupider just reading the NYT. Fortunately, reading Althouse grows my brain cells so net, I’m better off.

- Krumhorn; 9/10/20, 10:42 AM
cf said...: "Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid."
this is @NPR @NyTimes mantra since November, 2016.
Cover all good news developments (anything Trump, vitamin D3, hydroxychoroquine/Zinc) "with a pillow".; 9/10/20, 10:44 AM
Mike Sylwester said...: Maybe ordinary flu viruses do the same damage.; 9/10/20, 10:45 AM
walter said...: about half of patients report neurological symptoms, including headaches, confusion and delirium
<
“If the brain does become infected, it could have a lethal consequence,” said Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale University who led the work.
The study was posted online on Wednesday and has not yet been vetted by experts for publication. But several researchers said it was careful and elegant,
<
In the new study, Dr. Iwasaki and her colleagues documented brain infection in three ways: in brain tissue from a person who died of Covid-19, in a mouse model and in organoids — clusters of brain cells in a lab dish meant to mimic the brain’s three-dimensional structure.
<
“I think this is a case where the scientific data is ahead of the clinical evidence,” Dr. Muotri said.
Researchers will need to analyze many autopsy samples to estimate how common brain infection is and whether it is present in people with milder disease or in so-called long-haulers, many of whom have a host of neurological symptoms.
Forty percent to 60 percent of hospitalized Covid-19 patients experience neurological and psychiatric symptoms, said Dr. Robert Stevens, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins University. But the symptoms may not all stem from the virus’s invasion of brain cells. They may be the result of pervasive inflammation throughout the body.
<
Some cognitive symptoms, like brain fog and delirium, might be harder to pick up in patients who are sedated and on ventilators. Doctors should plan to dial down sedatives once a day, if possible, in order to assess Covid-19 patients, Dr. Stevens said.
-----
So the new study is based on one actual deceased patient...who died either from or with covid-19...with or without pre-existing neurological condition.
The money quote is “I think this is a case where the scientific data is ahead of the clinical evidence,”
Critically ill hospitalized patients, especially the elderly, commonly have neurological/cognitive symptoms as described.
https://www.icudelirium.org; 9/10/20, 11:02 AM
Anonymous said...: " It is evidence that the actual pandemic is now in full retreat in the US."

Not on the UW campus. 456 cases in Dane County today, up from the previous record of 195.; 9/10/20, 11:08 AM
walter said...: Mike Sylwester said...Maybe ordinary flu viruses do the same damage.
--
"It's not the fluuuuuuuuu!"
But if covid is seen lacking, the flu may become the new reason to "mask up".; 9/10/20, 11:11 AM
mockturtle said...: This would explain a lot regarding Boris Johnson of late.; 9/10/20, 11:15 AM
iowan2 said...: All of this hysteria, and yet, Covid ceases to be an issue, in early November, when Biden steals the election through fraudulent counting of mail in ballots. Just let that stew in your mind for a while.; 9/10/20, 11:18 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: “ Not on the UW campus. 456 cases in Dane County today, up from the previous record of 195.”

Unlikely that any of the students will die and by the first of October, the school should have decent herd immunity. Win/win.; 9/10/20, 11:22 AM
Kevin said...: I remember from High School lectures that drinking beer kills brain cells.

They did not discuss the situation where a pandemic is using your brain cells to spread and drinking beer might be an effective way to battle the disease.; 9/10/20, 11:23 AM
iowan2 said...: Not on the UW campus. 456 cases in Dane County today, up from the previous record of 195.

How many deaths at UW campus? How many deaths at colleges and schools across the nation? There must be dozens of human interest stories across the corpse ridden landscape of this nation. Wonder why the media is hiding these stories.; 9/10/20, 11:24 AM
Yancey Ward said...: "Not on the UW campus. 456 cases in Dane County today, up from the previous record of 195."

How many in the hospital, Lefty Mark? How many dead?

No, it is in full retreat.; 9/10/20, 11:27 AM
Yancey Ward said...: But, Mark, I get it- you got the brain version of COVID, so it is understandable.; 9/10/20, 11:27 AM
Joe Smith said...: Does this mean liberals are mostly immune?; 9/10/20, 11:29 AM
Narayanan said...: Trumpus Maximus Doctoris MAGA

For people wondering if HCQ has any prophylaxis effect >>>

What are the symptoms of cerebral malaria?

In the progressed state, symptoms of cerebral malaria, may include: Headache. Loss of consciousness. High fever without any causes. Convulsions. Orthostatic hypotension. Alteration in neurological behavioral pattern.; 9/10/20, 11:30 AM
mikee said...: The pandemic is just about over here in Austin. Ignore Asshat Mayor Adler. And yes, he does use his own colon for a cowboy hat.; 9/10/20, 11:33 AM
J. Farmer said...: The potential long-term health effects have always been one of the big unknowns. It has such a broad spectrum of clinical presentation. Razib Khan has posted links on Twitter to a lot of studies looking at the question. I imagine he’s primarily interested in the genetic angle. The level of unknowns regarding the virus was sufficient to justify fairly strict containment protocols until we had a better idea of what we were dealing with.; 9/10/20, 11:36 AM
iowan2 said...: How many healthy 20 year olds are dead from covid?

Everyone focused on masks, never make an effort to protect those likely to die if exposed to the virus. Why don't we protect the vulnerable? Why dont we look at the 5 states with the highest per capita deaths?; 9/10/20, 11:39 AM
Drago said...: Yancey Ward: "But, Mark, I get it- you got the brain version of COVID, so it is understandable."

The Dumb Lefty Mark posts do stand out.; 9/10/20, 11:47 AM
Leora said...: Remain very frightened. Be scared. Vote Biden because he will make the virus all better unlike that monster Trump who wants you to die.; 9/10/20, 11:58 AM
Howard said...: Just a flu; 9/10/20, 11:58 AM
BarrySanders20 said...: "Not on the UW campus. 456 cases in Dane County today, up from the previous record of 195."

My son is one of them. Tested for the fifth time yesterday due to exposure to kids who were positive dating to mid-summer, and this time they said he was too. He has a very mild sore throat. No other symptoms. Is in quarantine with one housemate who tested positive 5 days ago, still doing on-line classes. We plan to deliver food and a covid treat bag/survival kit this weekend.

A niece and nephew who go to different colleges in Ohio both tested positive 10 days ago. Neither had any bad symptoms and both say they felt fully recovered after a few days. The college kids know this is not a big deal to them and, while they need to keep up appearances and don't want to infect vulnerable people, really don't care to eliminate the rest of their lives in fear of covid.; 9/10/20, 12:13 PM
n.n said...: Maybe ordinary flu viruses do the same damage.

Yes, not only is that possible, but it is probable. The non-novel viruses are labeled and judged in a conventional manner, which precludes evolutionary analysis: "just a flu. " Also, the conventional scientific standard: clinical evidence, double-blind etc., does not remark on individual cases, but rather on populations.; 9/10/20, 12:31 PM
n.n said...: Remain very frightened.

Evolution (e.g. life) is a progressive process with a terminal end, thus a natural imperative for reproductive vigor and our [unPlanned] Posterity.; 9/10/20, 12:34 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: What horseshit. If it's so dangerous, how come babies, toddlers and teens don't get it?; 9/10/20, 12:34 PM
Browndog said...: Yesterday I read a post by a doctor that said COVID infections can cause HIV and lead to cancer.

I believe him because BELIEVE ALL DOCTORS! (no, not those ones!); 9/10/20, 12:46 PM
walter said...: BAG,
Arguably because the youngins have more robust immune systems than oldins.; 9/10/20, 1:00 PM
Birkel said...: The panic Trump was trying to avoid, Democratics are naturally trying to foment.; 9/10/20, 2:28 PM
Birkel said...: Wash your hands.
Get outside in the sunlight so your body can produce Vitamin D.

That's what we should all be doing.; 9/10/20, 2:30 PM
Jupiter said...: "It does everything. It's the most complete work ever sent to us from China."

Hmmmm... most of what we get from China is cheap knock-offs of products that were originally designed here.; 9/10/20, 3:27 PM
Heather in Canada said...: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2782954/
Yes, other viruses can damage the brain as well.; 9/10/20, 3:45 PM
madAsHell said...: 'Days after infection, and we already see a dramatic reduction in the amount of synapses,' Dr. Muotri said.

Dr. Meurto says the infection is gonna eat muh brain.; 9/10/20, 5:18 PM
Jaq said...: Do you think that anybody here is going to read and understand your post Farmer?; 9/10/20, 5:22 PM
Jaq said...: "On the flip side, we likely have 30-50 million infected americans and probably 10-30x that globally and the vast majority show almost no significant signs of illness. “

87.6% of all statistics are made up on the spot.; 9/10/20, 5:23 PM
Original Mike said...: "'Days after infection, and we already see a dramatic reduction in the amount of synapses,' Dr. Muotri said."

I don't feel any dumber.; 9/10/20, 5:50 PM
Birches said...: Alright, I'm going to bust the skeptical narrative here. One of my family members got COVID. He had a couple of weeks where he couldn't remember doing things and was acting strange. They took him to a neurologist and the doctors said it was COVID related. It happened after he had already recovered from being sick (he wasn't sick enough to be hospitalized). But he's doing fine now.

I'll also add he went to urgent care when he was sick and received some sort of medicine that really helped. I wouldn't discount a drug reaction rather than COVID for the weird neurological issues. This thing is really too new to know much.; 9/10/20, 6:15 PM
bagoh20 said...: 94% of all fatalities attributed to Covid involved on average 2.5 other comorbidities. If you counted the flu, or colds, or warts with same methodologies, those diseases too would be epidemics like Covid. It's a serious pandemic only of poor definitions, bad policy, and distortion due to financial and political motivations to collect bad data. That bad data cost thousands of lives unnecessarily, and will continue to for years.; 9/10/20, 6:39 PM
Michael K said...: Howard said...
Just a flu

Pretty close. Look at data on flu deaths and consider (I know you won't) how inflated the death rate for SARS-2 is.; 9/10/20, 6:46 PM
J. Farmer said...: @tim in vermont:

Do you think that anybody here is going to read and understand your post Farmer?

Beats the hell out of me. I'm assuming you read it and understood it, so that would be somebody. In general, though, it's hard to discuss covid-19 rationally given how it has become yet another Hatfield and McCoy partisan issue.

In a better functioning society, an issue like covid-19 should serve to increase social solidarity and cooperation. Instead, it's just one more thing for people to scream at each other about. This is how a society comes apart. Polarization causes the center to collapse. Democrats and Republicans occupy completely separate realities, neither of which is actual reality. How many people recall that in the earliest days of the outbreak, the partisan divide was reversed. It was Republicans like Tom Cotton and Lynn Cheney who were sounding the alarm, while Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Bill De Blasio were downplaying the risks.; 9/10/20, 7:50 PM
n.n said...: A clear case of correlation in a small population.; 9/11/20, 12:29 AM
Robert Cook said...: "What horseshit. If it's so dangerous, how come babies, toddlers and teens don't get it?

They do. They just tend not to experience severe or, in some cases, even noticeable reactions from it. However, anyone who gets it can spread it to others, a percentage of whom may suffer grievous health impacts, up to and including death.; 9/11/20, 4:09 PM