The exact nature of long COVID is still coming to light, but we just got some of the best evidence yet that this debilitating condition stems from a brain injury.

Using high-resolution scanners, researchers at the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford have shown microscopic, structural abnormalities in the brainstems of those recovering from COVID-19.

Signs of brain inflammation were present up to 18 months after first contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

"We show that the brainstem is a site of vulnerability to long-term effects of COVID-19, with persistent changes evident in the months after hospitalization," the authors of the study conclude.

https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awae215

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[–] jatone@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 10 hours ago

na, vaccines cause the immune response to be better overall. which also lowers the chances of extreme damage from occurring. you can think of death as the most extreme form of damage. but if it reduces death by 60% you'll see similar reductions for things like brain injury.