Coronavirus Causes Inflammation Of Brain, Affects Spinal Cord - Prof

The effects of COVID-19 on the body have been highlighted by a professor of Internal Medicine/Neurology at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Yomi Ogun; including inflammation of the brain.

The professor, according to Punch,  stated that the disease could lead to patients suffering from epilepsy and seizures.

Ogun said, “The proportion is a little more among males — maybe three males to two females.

“A very easy COVID-19 symptom to remember is the loss of smell, which is pretty common. It only affects one of the nerves coming from the brain that takes care of smell.

“The damage can take many forms. It can lead to stroke; it can also lead to the inflammation of the brain, which we call encephalitis.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Only 1 Death Recorded As Total Confirmed Cases Approaches 60,000

“It can also cause affectation of the spinal cord, called myelitis.

“For the smell, it comes from the nose and migrates backward to the brain.

“The virus can get through the bloodstream and when it gets to the bloodstream, it goes all over the body.

“There is a receptor for the virus in the body, called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and once it gets there, it can migrate to the cell.

“Other manifestations include problems with swallowing. In some cases, some patients don’t see too well and some of them, the eyes will deviate to one side because the muscles of the eye will be weak; so, they have what we call squint and some could have myalgia (pain in the muscles).

“Some of the patients have Guillain–Barré syndrome — a condition that occurs because the body wants to get rid of the virus once it gets to the system.

“In some patients, they present with convulsion and seizures; they may have some abnormal movement and they may have myoclonic jerks which will make them to jerk abnormally.

“In some cases, they may have epilepsy. Some people also complain of some headache and they feel extremely weak.”