That sounds like an extreme interpretation that would put the issue forward as a straw-man to be knocked down. Instead, I would just say that COVID is a virus that causes cognitive deficits even in people with little/no other symptoms.

From what I've read (mostly from articles linked here on HN), the problem with COVID-19 is that it is highly inflammatory (in the medical sense, not just the conversational one!).

The brain really doesn't do well with inflammation.

That's an extreme way to phrase it, but possibly yes.

"Infectability of human BrainSphere neurons suggests neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2"

https://www.altex.org/index.php/altex/article/view/1924