This is unpublished
December 10, 2020
New Evidence Suggests COVID-19 Can Directly Enter The Brain
A new study suggests the virus is capable of directly invading the brain, with serious effects, leading to brain fog and “COVID dementia.”
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New evidence indicates that COVID-19 can affect the brain by crossing the blood brain barrier.
Researchers believe the study offers strong evidence that the S1 “spike” protein that studs the SARS-CoV-2 virus is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, the semi-permeable separation that, among other functions, protects the brain from foreign substances.
The spike protein is “responsible for binding to a cell, and it allows the virus to enter a cell,” said Dr. William Banks, professor (Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine), co-senior author on the study.
Dr. Elizabeth Rhea, research assistant professor, is lead author and Dr. Michelle Erickson, research assistant professor, is co-senior author.