John Hopkins University research adds to concerns about covid-19 neurodegenerative symptoms • "It's critical to know that our most important organ may be damaged"

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  Corona virus inside a human cell // Photo: IP

Scientists in the United States on Monday released preliminary evidence that the corona virus is capable of infecting human brain cells to replicate itself within human brain cells.

Professor Thomas Hartung and colleagues at the prestigious John Hopkins University revealed the findings after low levels of the sars-cov-2 virus were detected in neuronal arrays known as "tiny brains" that grow from embryonic stem cells.

This is preliminary evidence that the virus is able to infect human brain cells. The discovery may provide an explanation for the various neurological phenomena discovered in Corona patients. The findings showed the proteins used by the virus to enter cells as well as the culture of the virus within the cell.

"It is critical that we know whether our most vital organ can be directly affected by the presence of the virus," Professor Hartung said in an interview with the Financial Times, adding that it is unclear how widespread the phenomenon is, as no corona patient has been tested for suspected brain effect.

The question of whether the virus can penetrate into the brain of an adult person has not yet been fully answered as the experiment was performed on cells and neurons that simulate a brain, rather than a functioning human brain, which has a "blood-barrier" protection against viruses. In any case, much remains unknown about how the virus infiltrates various systems and many phenomena that have occurred around the world among Corona patients are not yet fully understood.

Meanwhile, the Federal Food and Drug Administration, the FDA, today canceled the sweeping permit for hospitals to use the "hydrochloroquine" drug, a malaria drug, for Corona patients. The reason for the decision is the lack of scientific research that supports the use of the drug and some studies that have shown possible harm from it.