Alarming Rise in Brain Degeneration Risks After COVID-19 Infection Sparks Global Medical Alert
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team May 08, 2025 2 weeks, 2 days, 4 hours, 3 minutes ago
Medical News: COVID May Trigger Long Term Brain Disorders Warn European Neurologists
A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that COVID-19 may be setting the stage for a surge in neurodegenerative diseases in the years ahead. A major new position paper published by the NeuroCOVID-19 Task Force of the European Academy of Neurology is warning healthcare systems worldwide to prepare for a delayed epidemic of brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, potentially linked to earlier SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Alarming Rise in Brain Degeneration Risks After COVID Infection Sparks Global Medical Alert
The research team—comprising experts from institutions including Semmelweis University (Hungary), the Institute of Experimental Medicine (Hungary), Università degli Studi di Milano (Italy), and Innsbruck Medical University (Austria), among others—presented extensive clinical, neuropathological, and epidemiological evidence that COVID-19 could result in long-term brain damage, even in people with mild or asymptomatic infections. This
Medical News report draws on that position paper and offers insight into why active surveillance and public health planning are urgently needed.
Autopsy and Imaging Reveal Damage Across the Brain
One of the most alarming aspects of the findings is that extensive brain damage has been observed during autopsies of both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals who had COVID-19. These include evidence of blood vessel leaks, tiny blood clots (microthromboses), inflammation of support cells (gliosis), demyelination (loss of nerve insulation), and even nerve cell death.
Advanced imaging techniques such as PET and MRI scans have also shown brain changes in COVID-19 survivors, including shrinkage in gray matter and ongoing inflammation in critical areas like the brainstem and olfactory bulb. Microglial cells—immune cells of the brain—have been found to be overactivated and dysfunctional, often leading to loss of brain connections and damage to surrounding brain structures.
Worrying Links to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease
Drawing comparisons to historic pandemics like the 1918 Spanish flu, which was associated with post-viral neurological conditions such as encephalitis lethargica, the report emphasizes that viral infections like SARS-CoV-2 can kickstart or accelerate processes leading to dementia and Parkinson’s.
Data from massive biobanks in the UK and Finland found that people exposed to viruses had significantly higher odds of being diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases. Specifically, the risk of Alzheimer’s disease was up to three times higher within a year after a COVID-19 infection. Similarly, Parkinson’s disease risks were elevated by over 40 percent in some populations.
Cognitive Issues Linger Long After Recovery
Clinical studies are also showing that even those who recover from COVI
D-19 may experience persistent cognitive difficulties. These include memory loss, trouble concentrating, and slower mental processing. In a systematic review, around 28 percent of survivors were still showing cognitive problems two years after infection. Even patients who had mild COVID-19 were not spared, with brain fog and mental fatigue lasting for months or even longer.
A separate analysis of healthcare records found that COVID-19 survivors were much more likely to receive a first-time diagnosis of a neurological or psychiatric disorder in the six months following infection. Alarmingly, these issues were more common in patients who had required ICU care, but were still present in those who had milder cases.
A Call for Urgent Surveillance and Public Health Action
The researchers recommend that health systems should not only remain vigilant but also actively set up national surveillance programs. These would involve tracking rates of dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease and comparing them to data from before the pandemic. Special attention should be given to long-term cohorts of COVID-19 survivors to identify emerging trends early.
They also call for continued pathological studies of brain tissue, advanced imaging in living patients, and investigation into whether COVID vaccines or antiviral treatments reduce the risk of long-term brain damage.
Conclusions
The evidence linking COVID-19 to long-term neurodegeneration is now strong enough to warrant action. Even if only a small percentage of the millions infected with the virus develop brain disorders, the absolute number of people affected could be staggering. Since symptoms may appear years later and may not be traced back to the original infection, these cases risk being misclassified or ignored. Health systems must prepare for a delayed but potentially massive wave of neurological diseases, while researchers must work urgently to understand how the virus damages the brain and how we might prevent or reverse its effects.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed Journal of Neurology.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-025-13110-3
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