Covid delirium: Understanding how it affects the brain and frequent signs

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• Sep 5, 2022 | Kabir Chakraborty

The development of inflammation, which can stop blood flow to the infected person's brain, may also occur because the body of a COVID-infected person may overreact to the virus as a defence mechanism, continued Dr. Balakrishnan.

Digital Desk: Young people can also have Covid delirium, which is more common in the elderly and is brought on by the body's response to the Covid-19 virus. When a person becomes agitated, confused, and unable to think clearly, it is called covid delirium. It is the sixth most typical presenting symptom among all patients, according to a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open. Steroids, certain pharmaceutical combinations, and prolonged hospitalization all slow down brain activity. Covid-19 impacts the brain in the same way that many bodily functions do.

How does Covid Attack Brain?

"The virus may cause damage to a person's brain's neurons. The receptors found in the lungs and ACE2 receptors, which are found in neurons in the brain, are highly similar. According to Dr. Milan Balakrishnan, Consultant Psychiatrist at Masina Hospital in Mumbai, this could be a starting point for COVID to assault specific brain cells as well.

"Patients with COVID may have delirium due to oxygen deficiency. This is due to the fact that the COVID virus mostly affects the lungs, which has an impact on the parameters governing the oxygen level.  The development of inflammation, which can stop blood flow to the infected person's brain, may also occur because the body of a COVID-infected person may overreact to the virus as a defence mechanism, continued Dr. Balakrishnan.

Symptoms Of Covid Delirium

- It may increase the risk of memory loss, brain fog, disorientation, and an inability to concentrate and pay attention. A case of happy hypoxia occurs when the level of oxygen saturation dramatically decreases. This perilous decrease in oxygen levels might be made worse by some neurological conditions and brain injury.

- It increases a person's risk of developing mood disorders including depression. Some patients may have psychosis as a result of it.

Early Signs Of Brain Damage

There are some signals of early brain damage, according to a study on the neurological symptoms of Covid that was published in the journal Neurology. Confusion, irritability, and various neurological issues are among the symptoms mentioned.

The Journal of Clinical Immunology and Immunotherapy discovered that various modest neurologic symptoms can influence the development of delirium. One of these could be a loss of taste or smell, which could increase the danger. Delirium and brain fog are two highly serious symptoms that Covid can cause. The fact that Covid can worsen a decrease in brain function, which is already a cause for concern, raises even more significant questions. People facing symptoms should seek immediate and necessary therapy at the earliest stages possible to allow prevention and early treatment of the same," says Dr. Balakrishnan.