Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2023 June 20

= June 20 =

COVID and the brain
[https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.04.535604v1#:~:text=Our%20results%20revealed%20the%20accumulation,direct%20effect%20on%20brain%20tissue. Rong et al., 2023 observed] COVID spike protein in the skull marrow, brain meninges, and brain parenchyma of adults who had died from COVID. Are there any other examples of predominantly respiratorily transmitted viruses expressing in the brain this way (I.e. excluding HIV/Ebola/HSV)? Uhooep (talk) 15:45, 20 June 2023 (UTC)
 * I question the characterisation of COVID-19 as a "predominantly respiratory virus". I am no more than an interested observer (and recoveree), but from my popular science media reading it seems to me that Covid-19 infects many different organs and tissues, perhaps most significantly the nervous system, and that its effects manifesting in the lungs just happen to be more noticeable in many, but by no means all, victims.
 * In my own case (2 months ago), my respiratory system seemed entirely unaffected bar a couple of days of mild dry cough, but the effects on my lower alimentary canal were severe. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 46.65.228.117 (talk) 18:17, 20 June 2023 (UTC)
 * The original post said "predominantly respiratorily transmitted viruses", not "predominantly respiratory viruses". --User:Khajidha (talk) (contributions) 20:58, 20 June 2023 (UTC)
 * You are correct, and I apologise for my mis-reading of the question. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 46.65.228.117 (talk) 07:32, 21 June 2023 (UTC)