A paper published in Nature looked at brain autopsies of people that died from COVID-19. Brain endothelial cells were found to be infected and there was an increase in string vessels (lost capillaries).
This helps to explain how the brain damage happens and relates it to the 76% of patients who may have impairment and a range of psychiatric symptoms.
See also:
- Animals they researched showed the damage repaired over time giving hope for recovery of long COVID
- A different study found COVID-19 infection reduces grey matter thickness in parts of the brain
- Half of COVID-19 survivors had lingering symptoms after 1 year