# Can brain surgery reverse Alzheimer's? Plus, new clues about long COVID and the future of health data > Experimental brain surgery shows promise for Alzheimer's but long COVID research reveals microbiome links. - Title: Can brain surgery reverse Alzheimer's? Plus, new clues about… - Summary: Experimental brain surgery shows promise for Alzheimer's but long COVID research reveals microbiome links. An experimental brain surgery may improve… - Keywords: alzheimer's disease, long covid, microbiome, census changes, brain surgery, health data, news, politics, world, brain, surgery, reverse - Source: Straight Arrow — https://san.com/cc/can-brain-surgery-reverse-alzheimers-plus-new-clues-about-long-covid-and-the-future-of-health-data - Published: 2026-10-15T17:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: alzheimer's disease, long covid, microbiome, census changes, brain surgery, health data, news, politics, world ## Alzheimer's brain surgery trial Chinese researchers developed experimental brain surgery to improve waste clearance in Alzheimer's patients. > The procedure is based on an intriguing, but unproven idea: What if Alzheimer’s is partly a problem with the brain’s ability to clear waste? ## Long COVID microbiome study U.K. researchers found less bacterial diversity in mouths of severe long COVID patients. > People with the most severe ongoing symptoms had less bacterial diversity in their mouths than those with milder symptoms ## Census health data changes Proposed 2030 Census changes could distort health statistics by excluding non-citizens and race data. > The Trump administration has proposed three significant changes: excluding people who aren’t U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents from certain population counts ## Measles outbreak update Pennsylvania reported sixth suspected measles-associated death with 4,000 U.S. cases this year. > Pennsylvania reported a sixth suspected measles-associated death, after a 39-year-old woman with underlying health conditions passed ## Ebola import case Kenyan citizen died of Ebola in Nairobi marking Kenya’s first imported case since May. > A Kenyan citizen who traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo died of Ebola in Nairobi on Oct. 5 ## Microbiome and long COVID Bacterial patterns linked to impaired lung function and brain fog in long COVID patients. > Certain bacterial patterns were also associated with impaired lung function, brain fog and gastrointestinal problems ## Alzheimer's surgery risks Videos of improved cognition after surgery may be AI-generated or manipulated. > Questions have also emerged about whether some of these videos could be AI-generated or otherwise manipulated ## Census health impact Changing where people are counted could distort local health statistics for resource allocation. > Counting college students at their parents’ homes instead of where they attend school could make some college communities appear smaller ## Microbiome study limitations Study didn’t establish cause-effect relationship between microbiome changes and long COVID. > The study was observational, meaning it did not establish cause and effect ## Alzheimer's research progress Researchers moving toward clinical trials to determine surgery benefits for Alzheimer's. > Researchers are now moving toward more rigorous clinical trials to determine whether the procedure improves cognition ## Census public comment period Public comment period extended to November 2 for census changes proposals. > The public comment period has been extended to Nov. 2 ## Ebola response in Kenya Kenyan authorities quarantined 122 contacts after Ebola case in Nairobi. > Kenyan authorities quarantined 122 contacts and tested 293 samples ## Measles death details 39-year-old woman with health conditions died from measles in Pennsylvania. > Pennsylvania reported a sixth suspected measles-associated death, after a 39-year-old woman with underlying health conditions passed ## Census health data concerns Eliminating race and ethnicity questions could worsen health disparities tracking. > Eliminating race and ethnicity questions raises another concern. Those data help researchers identify differences in health outcomes among populations ## Long COVID microbiome findings Overabundance of lactic acid bacteria linked to inflammation in long COVID patients. > Researchers also identified an overabundance of bacteria that produce lactic acid among some people with persistent symptoms ## Key takeaway An experimental brain surgery may improve Alzheimer's symptoms, while bacteria in mouths and lungs could explain long COVID severity.