Role of Microglia, Decreased Neurogenesis and Oligodendrocyte Depletion in Long COVID-Mediated Brain Impairments

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of a recent worldwide coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 primarily causes an acute respiratory infection but can progress into significant neurological complications in some. Moreover, patients with severe acute COVID-19 could develop debilitating long-term sequela. Long-COVID is characterized by chronic symptoms that persist months after the initial infection. Common complaints are fatigue, myalgias, depression, anxiety, and “brain fog,” or cognitive and memory impairments. A recent study demonstrated that a mild COVID-19 respiratory infection could generate elevated proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the cerebral spinal fluid. This commentary discusses findings from this study, demonstrating that even a mild respiratory SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause considerable neuroinflammation with microglial and macrophage reactivity. Such changes could also be gleaned by measuring chemokines and cytokines in the circulating blood. Moreover, neuroinflammation caused by mild SARS-CoV-2 infection can also impair hippocampal neurogenesis, deplete oligodendrocytes, and decrease myelinated axons. All these changes likely contribute to cognitive deficits in long-COVID syndrome. Therefore, strategies capable of restraining neuroinflammation, maintaining better hippocampal neurogenesis, and preserving oligodendrocyte lineage differentiation and maturation may prevent or reduce the incidence of long-COVID after SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infection.