People with Minor COVID-19 Symptoms May Be At-Risk for Serious Brain Disorders

A recent study in the United Kingdom revealed that a brain condition called Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM), triggered by COVID-19, is serious and may be potentially deadly. ADEM is similar, though more severe, than multiple sclerosis. While some patients with ADEM can make a good recovery, some become permanently disabled.

As scientists continue to work on vaccines and treatments for the novel coronavirus, they are also studying the range of symptoms and disorders the disease is causing.

The study, reported by the Guardian and published in the neurology journal Brain, covers more than 40 COVID-19 patients in the UK who developed complications including brain inflammation, delirium, stroke and nerve damage. At London’s Global University’s Institute of Neurology, before the pandemic hit, there was one ADEM case a month. In April and May of 2020, the rate of ADEM disorders rose to several a week:

• 1 woman died due to complications
• 12 patients developed “inflammation of the central nervous system”
• 10 patients developed brain disease with delirium or psychosis
• 8 patients had strokes
• 8 patients developed peripheral nerve problems, mainly due to “Guillain-Barré syndrome, an immune reaction that attacks the nerves and causes paralysis” and which can be fatal.

One doctor stated, “What we’ve seen with some of these ADEM patients, and in other patients, is you can have severe neurology, you can be quite sick, but actually have trivial lung disease.”

COVID-19 has also caused patients to become fatigued and breathless long after the virus has cleared. Other symptoms, after the virus has cleared, include memory difficulties, weakness, and numbness. The study summarized a few examples of potential COVID-19-related difficulties after discharge or after the virus had apparently cleared. One 55-year-old woman “repeatedly put her coat on and took it off again and began to hallucinate, reporting that she saw monkeys and lions in her house. She was readmitted to hospital and gradually improved on antipsychotic medication.” A 47-year old woman developed headaches and numbness in her right hand. She then developed a fever and a cough. Ultimately, surgery was required to remove part of her skull.

GPs, physicians, and healthcare workers are being urged to consult with neurologists when patient show symptoms of memory difficulties, fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and weakness. The doctors involved in the study emphasize that “The message is not to put that all down to the recovery, and the psychological aspects of recovery. The brain does appear to be involved in this illness.”

Part of the difficulty in assessing the scope of COVID-19 brain damage is that many COVID-19 patients are too ill to undergo brain scans or other procedures. Doctors are concerned that some survivors of the disease may develop subtle brain damage that doesn’t become clear until years after their initial recovery.

At Plattner Verderame, P.C., our Phoenix brain injury lawyers work with your neurologists, neurosurgeons, and other health care providers to fully understand your medical diagnosis, what treatments will be needed for your lifetime and how your quality of life is affected by brain damage. We fight aggressively to hold anyone responsible for your brain injury liable for your damages including your medical bills, lost income, physical pain, and emotional suffering. For help with any brain injury claim for yourself or a loved one, please call our Arizona lawyers at 602.266.2002 or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation.