The CDC found brain abscesses tripled and the baseline almost doubled since pre-pandemic times, Science Alert reported Oct. 30.
Brain abscesses are relatively rare but usually follow a respiratory infection. The pus-filled pocket exerts pressure on brain tissue and even cuts off blood flow. They can cause brain damage and, in severe cases, be fatal.
Between 2016 and 2019, the baseline for brain abscesses were 34 cases a month based on hospitalization data. After the pandemic, cases peaked at 102 in a month in December 2022. Cases have declined since but still reach as many as 61 per month.
"Although some variability between U.S. Census Bureau regions was observed, overall patterns were generally similar: consistently low case counts after the onset of the pandemic, then a period of increase beginning in mid- to late-2021 followed by a large peak during winter 2022-2023," Accorsi and her team explained.
The report offers no speculation about the cause of the rise in cases. In April, Nevada reported a rise in cases and one CDC researcher suggested those cases could be linked to lifting mask mandates in that state in February 2022.