Why does COVID-19 cause neurological problems, including ‘brain fog’? Scientists might have an answer Updated 8:24 PM; Scientists experimenting in the lab have found that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is capable of infecting two types of brain cells — neurons and astrocytes. The findings could shed light on a possible reason for the bewildering array of neurological symptoms that follow some COVID-19 survivors even after they recover. COVID-19 is best known as a respiratory disease, but for many victims, it also triggers an array of problems including memory lapses, fatigue and a certain sluggish, fuzzy feeling often referred to as “brain fog.”