You've heard by now the three primary symptoms of the coronavirus — fever, cough and shortness of breath — but according to researchers, COVID-19 can impact more than just your respiratory system. Neurological issues such as confusion, seizures and other brain impairments have also been reported in some COVID-19 cases.
COVID-19 May Harm the Brain in Some Cases
THURSDAY, April 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The woman worked in the airlines industry and was in her late 50s. She arrived at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit with a cough, fever and mental confusion that had arisen over the prior three days.
A nasal swab test showed she was infected with the new coronavirus. And as doctors tried to track down the cause of her "altered mental status," brain scans revealed an encephalopathy -- swelling in some areas of the brain -- as well as small areas of brain cell death.
It's a condition that's relatively rare in adults and potentially deadly, according to a team led by Henry Ford radiologist Dr. Brent Griffith.
"While [COVID-19] patients typically present with fever, shortness of breath and cough, neurologic manifestations have been reported, although to a much lesser extent," the woman's doctors wrote in the April 2 issue of the journal Radiology.