It would appear that there is a growing amount of evidence indicating the fact that COVID-19 can cause some unpleasant neurological effects, besides the already known issues regarding the respiratory symptoms. In a recent report made in a neurological hospital located somewhere in the United Kingdom, it is explained how COVID-19 has led to some isolated cases of delirium, nerve damage, brain inflammation and even stroke.
Blood Clots
The reports of stroke in patients that have been infected with the new coronavirus are becoming more and more common as time passes. Some of these reports suggest that up to 30% of patients suffering from a severe form of COVID-19 actually have blood clots in their vessels. Should these blood clots occur in the brain, there is a high chance that they lead to a stroke.
Smoking and COVID-19
Scientists affiliated with the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center have found, in the past, that vaping and smoking can lead to an increased risk of getting infected with a virus. Now, the very same researchers have published a groundbreaking review regarding how activities such as smoking and vaping can lead to an increased risk of neurological dysfunction in the case of being infected with COVID-19, especially when there is damage done to the blood vessels of the brain itself.
The Science Behind It
The report has in fact found that vaping ad smoking both increase the risk of stroke in COVID-19 because of damage that is done to the blood-brain barrier and the increased risk of blood clots appearing in the blood vessels. The details of the report can be viewed in full in the academic journal International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Smoking and Other Viruses
Smoking is already proved to cause damage to the lungs and, in general, to the respiratory system of an individual. In the past, studies have show that smoking can make a person more vulnerable to other viruses, such as influenza.