Long COVID Brain Fog May Originate in a Surprising Place, Say Scientists

Scientists have uncovered a possible explanation for one of COVID-19's most vexing legacies: the stubborn neurological symptoms of long COVID, such as brain fog, memory loss and fatigue. Their analysis revealed that having low levels of serotonin predicted whether or not someone was suffering from persistent symptoms following an infection.

The team of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania carefully recreated the chain of events that might be depleting serotonin and causing downstream consequences that could line up with some of the symptoms characteristic of long COVID. Their findings, published in the journal Cell, point to an intriguing hypothesis that winds its way from the gut up through the vagus nerve and ultimately into the brain. Read more from NPR here.