RESEARCHERS have been steadily gathering important insights into the effects of Covid-19 on the body and brain. Two years into the pandemic, these findings are raising concerns about the long-term impacts the coronavirus might have on biological processes such as aging.
As a cognitive neuroscientist, I have focused in my past research on understanding how brain changes related to aging affect people’s ability to think and move — particularly in middle age and beyond.
But as evidence came in showing that Covid-19 could affect the body and brain for months following infection, my research team shifted some of its focus to better understanding how the illness might influence the natural process of aging. This was motivated in large part by compelling new work from the United Kingdom investigating the effect of Covid-19 on the human brain.
