Hey, have you heard? Severe viral infections can cause unwanted changes in brain chemistry and function. Covid is one of those severe viral infections.
You have heard a lot about the 1918 flu pandemic. Some of the history has been forgotten. That pandemic did create long-term injury in the brain for some of those infected. The movie “Awakenings” with Robin Williams is about survivors of the 1918 Flu Epidemic. One of the consequences of the 1918 Flu was encephalitis lethargica. In a few patients, encephalitis lethargica progressed to the comatose condition in the movie “Awakenings”. Severe personality disorders were identified in a subset of those infected with the 1918 flu. They never recovered.
If you don’t think you are familiar with a virus impacting the brain, think about the polio virus. The polio virus is a well-known virus that impacts the brain and nervous system causing paralysis.
Throughout the pandemic, my clients expressed concerns with memory and brain fog concerns.
Yet, after the BA.5 variant, I started seeing many different “neurological” issues. The BA.5 variant was most active between April and July 2022. By the time this variant came around, many individuals had been infected with Covid multiple times.
In my clinic, I hadn’t seen many post- covid issues in the 35-55 year-old range. But after this last variant, they became the largest group. The tough part of being 35-55 years old is those are your most productive years.
Suddenly, they were experiencing brain fog that included difficulty concentrating, confusion, forgetfulness, irritability, anger, and a general lack of mental clarity. A few of my clients exhibited personality changes. Yet, I also saw complete transformations of personality where the individual appeared to have multiple personalities.
So, what is appearing in the research? Two studies were published in the last week.
Published September 13, 2022, a study conducted by the University School of Medicine, Cleveland, found the increased risk of a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s for the over 65-year-old population within a year of infection is 69% higher. In this population, women are at higher risk. For women over 85 years old, the risk is something like 82% higher.
Watch Dr. Campbell explain this research in terms you can understand.
Want to read the research from the University of Cleveland? Click here!
Nature Magazine published on Sept 22, 2022 an analysis of the variety of neurological disorders experienced by people infected with Covid early on.
They covered 44 different areas. Some of the areas covered included:
- Strokes
- Personality disorders that covered all disorders from passive aggressive behaviors, and depression to psychotic disorders,
- Bell’s palsy,
- Muscle concerns including tremors, flaccid muscles, muscle jerks, paralysis,
- Vision and taste disorders,
- Narcolepsy,
- Brain fog, memory issues, Alzheimer’s.
Overall, 7% of the individuals infected early in the pandemic experienced one or more of these symptoms within a year of infection. To read the Nature Magazine article click here. Prefer to watch Dr. Campbell talk about this article, click here!
What may have started this research was the U.K. Only a year after the start of the pandemic, the U.K. published research on brain scans before and after Covid. This research was the first warning that something happened to the brain with Covid. The research indicated brain injury in 100% of the patients with a verified infection. It didn’t matter if it was a mild or severe infection.
The U.K. research made a huge impact on me. It was so early in the pandemic. I became more aware of my clients and their memory issues. To watch the the KHOU News TV broadcast, click here!
Everyone will have to figure out how they are recovering from Covid. With the BA.5 variant, I found that phlegm is a huge part of the problem. I almost think the long haulers in the previous variants were easier to treat. This one takes time to remove the excess fluids causing the brain fog, and usually, the phlegm is a big part of their worse symptoms. If you’ve been on my Youtube channel, my episode, “What is Phlegm in Chinese Medicine,” explains phlegm and why it is the most difficult thing to treat.
Because this long haulers is best treated with herbs, it is well situated to tele-appointments and virtual private work sessions. If you’re long haulers has been a problem, especially with memory issues and you want to see what Chinese Medicine can do to help you, schedule an appointment here.