While COVID-19 is widely known as a respiratory disease, reports have shown that the virus that causes COVID-19 can also cause neurological effects that can lead to long-term damage of the brain.
When someone becomes infected with COVID-19, the virus enters the bloodstream, attacking blood cells and triggering the immune system to activate a massive inflammatory response. This response leads to the formation of large blood clots in veins or arteries deep inside the body, which can cut off blood flow. A stroke can occur if a blood clot blocks or narrows the arteries that supply the brain with essential blood.
Listen to Nima Ramezan, M.D., medical director, Comprehensive Stroke Center, MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, as he discusses the neurological effects that a COVID-19 infection can have.
