A team of researchers at New Haven, Conn.-based Yale University examined COVID-19 brain infection by looking at mouse models, clusters of brain cells in petri dishes and brain tissue samples from a deceased COVID-19 patient.
They found that SARS-CoV-2 can not only enter the brain, but take over brain cells to make copies of itself. The virus also appears to deprive nearby cells of oxygen, causing them to die.
It’s unclear how the virus travels to the brain or who is most likely to develop a brain infection. Some people may be more susceptible due to their genetic makeup or the viral load they’re exposed to, researchers suggested.
Researchers will need to analyze numerous autopsy brain samples to better understand how common brain infection is and who is infected. Based on their current research, they said infection of the brain is likely rare.
The study was posted on the preprint server bioRxiv Sept. 9 and has not been peer reviewed.
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