Study Warns Many COVID-19 Survivors Face Long-Term Cognitive Problems
When it comes to COVID-19, many people focus on the death risk, ignoring the many complications — some long-term — that many survivors experience after recovery. New research from Oxford Brookes University has found that a significant number of COVID-19 survivors face both short-term and long-term cognitive and psychiatric issues beyond the initial illness.
The new study was an evaluation of previously published research on COVID-19 patients, one that aimed to determine the impact the novel coronavirus may have on brain health in survivors. The findings were concerning, shedding light on a potentially major public health matter that may impact a huge number of people going forward.
When it comes to short-term cognitive issues, the study found that the main issues involved attention impairment, which was reported by 45-percent of patients, as well as memory problems, which were reported by 13- to 28-percent of patients.
As well, the majority of COVID-19 patients developed PTSD, and a significant percentage developed other mental health conditions like depression. The issues continue from there, with some patients facing long-term brain health problems, the majority of which were found to involve fatigue and affective disorders.
In addition, up to half of the patients reported long-term memory issues and nearly half reported long-term attention problems. More research is needed over the coming months, however, on the long-term impact of COVID-19 and how it may affect public health in coming years.
Oxford Brookes University's Dr. Sanjay Kumar explained:
Understanding the neuropsychiatric and cognitive consequences of COVID-19 is important as millions of people have been affected by the virus, and many cases go undetected. These conditions affect people's capacity to work effectively, drive, manage finances, make informed decisions and participate in daily family activities.
If even just a fraction of patients experience neuropsychiatric complications, the impact on public health services could be significant.