
Increase in delirium, rare brain inflammation and stroke linked to Covid-19 - graeme
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-delirium-rare-brain-inflammation-linked.html
======
fovc
Much more detail and link to original paper through here:
[https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-delirium-rare-
brain-i...](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-delirium-rare-brain-
inflammation-linked.html)

~~~
dang
Ok, we've changed to that from
[https://montrealgazette.com/news/world/scientists-warn-of-
po...](https://montrealgazette.com/news/world/scientists-warn-of-potential-
wave-of-covid-linked-brain-damage/wcm/73937fe3-1530-42f6-a854-6a393ec73c1a/).
Thanks!

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irjustin
I'll admit - I'm skeptical and think we should take this headline with a grain
of salt.

There's plenty of reasons to fear COVID but is brain damage really any more
reason to fear it than the standard fever? i.e. are people getting brain
damage from COVID itself or as a result of uncontrolled fever?

43 cases and the lack of wider spread makes me want to see more data before
trying to sound any alarm bells.

~~~
gnusty_gnurc
I feel like there’s a weird god of the gaps element to covid harm. Instead of
recognizing that seemingly an overwhelming majority of people are fine and
don’t suffer much adverse effects if any, there’s this automatic dwelling on
extremely low probability extreme “invisible damage”. I’m increasingly
convinced people are unsettled by the possibility that this could be anything
other than civilization ending and the mask averse amongst us aren’t
murderers. The desire for moral condemnation is too strong.

~~~
coding123
The pandemic could be over if 100% of the population wears them for just 2
months. That's a way better deal than what the mask averse are going to give
us which is 12-15months and probably a few million more US lives over that
timespan.

~~~
refurb
No way. Sure you could get it down to a few cases, but compliance is never
100% and it would flare up very quickly.

The only things masks do is slow the spread (which is obviously a good thing
for hospitals). If we don't get a vaccine we'll be maintaining some sort of
protection (masks, distancing) but every single person will be infected
eventually.

~~~
amanaplanacanal
Other countries have managed to get it under control by testing and contact
tracing. If we could "get it down to a few cases", as you say, we could do the
same thing. In the current environment in the US, that seems impossible.

~~~
refurb
Sure and those countries have effectively closed their borders. How long can
they keep that up for?

~~~
ben-schaaf
I'm not fully up to date on the US situation but haven't they effectively shut
down all borders as well, or at least have had their borders closed on them?

~~~
refurb
The US has restricted travel from certain countries (not all), but there are
several exceptions for US citizens, permanent residents and their family.

So there is still a decent amount of air travel happening into and out of the
US.

------
dstola
> a detailed account of neurological symptoms of 43 people

The sample size is extremely small, and there is already selection bias
because of pre-screening for neurological symptoms

> who had either confirmed or suspected Covid-19

really, they couldn't test the 43 people for covid that they were doing a
study on?

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ghastmaster
> Given that the disease has only been around for a matter of months, we might
> not yet know what long-term damage COVID-19 can cause

Statements like this, are quite disingenuous, especially when taken out of
context. Using qualifiers like "Might" and "can" in the same sentence is par
for the course for the propaganda I have seen over the past few months.
Headlines and reports are repleat with what ifs and every sci-fi pathogen
trope you can read.

Coronaviruses are not new to science. Pick any pathogen and take the rare
cases of odd symptoms and spread it on every network. See how the public
reacts.

Give me science! Few if any of our politicians are going on stage talking up
the need for randomized studies. They scare us and we panic.

~~~
oillio
A nature article with 7 references from medical journals scientific enough for
you?

[https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01403-8](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01403-8)

It is still too early for conclusive statements. However, it looks like there
is more to this than fear mongering.

~~~
s1artibartfast
Classification as fear mongering should depend on the frequency and harm
caused.

I tend to think that the reporting on these complications focuses on the fact
that it _can_ happen, without sufficient detail on how often, and how bad it
is, and how often it happens in the absence of Covid-19. This information is
necessary to inform people of how concerned they should be. Without it,
readers are left up to their imagination.

If covid has a 0.X% infection fatality rate, and a 0.0X% chance of a less
severe complication, how much _more_ concerned should the public be?

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jurschreuder
Isn't this just the man on the deserted island losing his grip, talking to a
volleyball and having delirium / psychotic symptoms? A symptom of lockdown,
side effect of the preventive treatment.

Wikipedia:

Solitary confinement has received severe criticism for having detrimental
psychological effects[2] and, to some and in some cases, constituting
torture.[3] According to a 2017 review study, "a robust scientific literature
has established the negative psychological effects of solitary confinement",
leading to "an emerging consensus among correctional as well as professional,
mental health, legal, and human rights organizations to drastically limit the
use of solitary confinement."[4]

"Psychological effects can include anxiety, depression, anger, cognitive
disturbances, perceptual distortions, obsessive thoughts, paranoia, and
psychosis."[21]

~~~
throwanem
You don't get encephalitis from being lonely.

~~~
Fjolsvith
"Dr. Raji said, "Gray matter volume is a key marker of brain health. Larger
gray matter volume means a healthier brain. Shrinking volume is seen in
Alzheimer's disease. Gray matter includes neurons that function in cognition
and higher order cognitive processes. The areas of the brain that benefited
from an active lifestyle are the ones that consume the most energy and are
very sensitive to damage." [1]

But you can experience bad brain health from inactivity.

1\. [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-
way/201...](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-
way/201212/the-brain-drain-inactivity)

------
onetimemanytime
In other words, try not to catch this thing before vaccines or treatments are
here. Not one infected person has praised it, AFAIK.

Strokes, heart attacks, thrombosis, kidney failure, lung problems (possibly
for life,) nervous system issues, brain damage...what else is left?

~~~
zwily
Why would an infected person ever praise a virus?

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0x8BADF00D
This is a much more sensationalist piece than it ought to be. When a patient
has a stroke, they will obviously develop brain damage. That is the definition
of a stroke - a cerebrovascular accident. The title should be "brain injury
causes brain damage".

~~~
GaryNumanVevo
How is it sensational? The linked medical paper [see other parent comment]
shows a link between COVID and brain inflammation, stroke, etc.

~~~
spaced-out
Comments like the one you responded to are what some people do to cope with
all this.

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bE9a3S5So8igd3
Not counter-narrative. Not-flagged

