Author Response: Trajectories of Neurologic Recovery 12 Months After Hospitalization for COVID-19: A Prospective Longitudinal Study

We appreciate the interest in our study.1 The reader points out important pathophysiologic concerns that pertain to SARS-CoV-2, acute brain injury, and cognitive sequelae. Several studies in animal models and humans have identified cytokine/chemokine elevations acutely after SARS-CoV-2 infection, which can lead to disruption of the endothelium in cerebral microvessels with subsequent microthrombus formation and microhemorrhages, along with activation of the complement cascade.2 Downstream parenchymal microglial and astrocyte activation can lead to additional cytokine/chemokine release and eventual neuronophagia.3