The personality of a teenager has completely changed after the coronavirus or COVID-19 attacked her brain her mother mentioned, according to reports. As the virus affected the lungs, Nia Haughton got sedated and was put in ventilation to help her breathe. She fought for two weeks against the virus.
The schoolgirl from London appeared to be winning the fight until she witnessed hallucinations and violent seizures and her behavior and voice changed. The mother told that the doctors found that her brain was inflamed.
"I don't know which was scarier, her being on the ventilator not being able to breathe, or the fact that she came out of it with a completely different personality. Her facial expression had changed, she couldn't count, she was like a four or five-year-old," she told NBC News.
The 15-year-old is currently struggling while speaking and is suffering from lapses in memory. Her case gives some indication about the type of damage the virus can cause to a developing brain. Nia was admitted to the Evelina London Children's Hospital in April as she was having a cold and fever for around a week and a half.
COVID-19 Leading to Hallucinations
After she was admitted to ICU her condition started to improve and eventually she was able to breathe. But within days, her condition worsened. She had been having hallucinations about people who were not present there. "I couldn't tell what was real. It was really scary. I could hear voices. It was very traumatic," she mentioned.
On this occasion, the virus was attacking her brain and might have changed her personality. Nia was also diagnosed with encephalitis, which can cause hallucinations and problems with speech, memory among many complications. According to NHS, the old and the very young are most at risk.
Experts are currently trying to understand the effects of the coronavirus on the body in the immediate stages of infection and also in the long-term. Many issues have cropped up in patients after recovering from the deadly disease and new effects are coming into the open with the passing days.
The virus outbreak is currently spreading like wildfire around the world and many vaccine candidates are currently under trial. Few of the potential vaccines are showing promising results in the later stages of trials and a vaccine can be expected by the end of this year.
