Tom Andrews

I’ve spent two decades studying how brains age. And I’ve never seen anything quite like this. In normal aging, some neurons die—but it’s gradual, region-specific, and the brain compensates remarkably well. Most of what we see is driven by loss of synaptic connections, not widespread neuron death. Behavioral changes tend to be slow, subtle, and mostly involve executive function. In neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, it’s different. These diseases kill neurons. The decline is faster, deeper, and more functionally disabling. What we’re seeing in young adults after SARS-CoV-2 infection doesn’t fit either pattern.
We’re seeing signs of early, widespread cognitive impairment—slowed thinking, weakened memory, executive dysfunction. Not just in one domain. Not just in one region. Almost every study that looks for brain damage post-infection finds it. This suggests accelerated neural de-differentiation—a breakdown in how specialized brain regions communicate and function. It's something we normally see decades later. Impairment doesn’t always mean permanent disability. But if neurons are dying, those cells aren’t coming back. And yes—cognitive disabilities have also spiked dramatically since 2020. There’s no other plausible explanation for the scale and timing of this trend. Meanwhile, self-styled truth-tellers with zero background in neuroscience or cognition keep minimizing the risks—spreading the idea that these impairments are rare, minor, or imagined. Speak up with evidence? You’re called an extremist.
Refuse to play along? You’re accused of fear-mongering. My biggest mistake? Thinking these folks were just misinformed.
They’re not. They’re propagandists. It’s 2025.
The damage is measurable.
The science is clear.
And the longer we pretend this is normal, the worse the outcomes will be.