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Elaf from Beirut: A new study revealed that many of the symptoms of post-infection syndrome with the Corona virus, or what is known as “long-term Covid”, can be caused by permanent damage to one of the most important nerves in the human body during the initial infection with the disease, according to a report by the “Jerusalem Post” newspaper.
A study, conducted by a group of researchers at the University Hospital of Trias i Pujol in Spain, found that weakness of the vagus nerve might be responsible for many of the long-term symptoms of Covid-19.
The results of the new study will be presented at the European Conference on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, which will examine the relationship between the vagus nerve and persistent symptoms of COVID-19.
The study notes that among the long-term symptoms of Covid are persistent hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, abnormally high heart rate, low blood pressure, and other digestive problems.
The vagus nerve is the longest and most complex in the human body, as it extends from the brain throughout the entire face and chest to the abdomen.
The vagus nerve acts as a major link between the brain and the digestive system, sending information regarding the state of internal organs.
Imaging tests
In order to further understand this phenomenon, the researchers used imaging tests, as well as morphological and functional assessment of the vagus nerve, on patients who had persistent symptoms following being infected with the Corona virus.
Of the 348 patients who participated in the study, two-thirds (228) had at least one symptom of vagus nerve damage.
Six of the 22 patients had visible changes in the vagus nerve in the neck that might be seen on ultrasound.
10 of the patients in the study showed abnormal breathing patterns and reduced maximum respiratory pressure, indicating weakness in the breathing muscles, which are also connected to the vagus nerve.
The number of people infected with the Corona virus globally exceeded 406.03 million, while the total number of deaths reached six million and 163,382 cases, according to a Archyde.com statistic published last Friday.
Infections with the virus have been recorded in more than 210 countries and regions since the first cases were discovered in China, in December 2019.
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