Chennai: A new study has said neurological complications of Covid-19 may include delirium, brain inflammation, stroke, and nerve damage.
It says some of these symptoms may not be a direct consequence of the novel coronavirus infection but due to the immune system acting on healthy cells.
The research, published in the journal Brain, identified one rare and sometimes fatal inflammatory condition, known as ADEM, which may be increasing in prevalence due to the pandemic.
Scientists, including those from the University College London (UCL) in the UK, said the team normally sees about one adult patient with ADEM per month, but that increased to at least one per week during the study period, which they added is a concerning increase.
The study provided a detailed account of neurological symptoms of 43 people (aged 16-85) treated at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, who had either confirmed or suspected Covid-19.
Researchers said some patients in the study did not experience severe respiratory symptoms, and the neurological disorder was the first and main presentation of Covid-19.