An astonishing study found that about one in three COVID-19 survivors had a brain or psychiatric disorder within six months of contracting COVID-19.
The shockingly high percentage of brain and psychiatric disorders in COVID-19 patients suggests that 10 million Americans (out of the 30 million who contracted COVID-19) may have mental health consequences in the coming years. It foretells an impending social crisis for which American society is unprepared.
In an article published in The Lancet Psychiatry, researchers revealed that about one in three (33.6%) neurological or psychiatric problems develop in more than 230,000 COVID-19 patients (mostly from the United States) has. The number rose to 38.7% for patients admitted to hospital, 46.4% for those admitted to an intensive care unit and 62.3% for those diagnosed with encephalopathy (a term that refers to any disease that changes the structure or function (of your brain).
Although the researchers could not determine how COVID-19 leads to many of these conditions, they found that the most common psychiatric conditions associated with a COVID-19 diagnosis were anxiety and depression. There were also statistically significant cases of stroke, dementia and other neurological conditions, although these were rarer.
“These results are worrying and suggest that COVID-19 is associated with a higher rate of long-term psychological and neurological complications than those observed in other respiratory diseases such as influenza,” said Dr. Russell Medford, chair of the Center for Global Health Innovation and Global Health Crisis Coordination Center, told Salon by email. “In order to develop effective therapeutic, behavioral, and public health interventions, this study highlights the urgent need for additional scientific and medical research to gain a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of COVID-19 that may affect brain function and human behavior. . “
Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, wrote to Salon that scientists already know that ‘this virus causes significant abnormalities to various bodily organs outside the lungs. It usually includes the kidneys of the heart, the blood system and the brain. mechanisms are not well understood, but are studied intensively. ‘In terms of neurological effects, it has already been established that it ranges from targeted functions such as temporary but prolonged loss of taste and smell to prolonged episodes of headache, debilitating physical fatigue or muscle weakness and difficulty thinking clearly (brain fog). “
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He added that survivors would henceforth need supportive care and pointed out that there are a number of studies examining the use of monoclonal antibodies to see if it can stop or reverse some neurological symptoms. Scattered reports of post-vaccination improvements have also been reported. but it is not conclusive. ‘
“There are two separate issues: one is psychiatric and one is neurological,” said Dr. William Haseltine, a biologist known for his work in confronting the HIV / Aids epidemic, fighting anthrax and advancing our knowledge of the human genome. Salon. After noting that the new article focuses more on psychological issues than neurological problems, Haseltine notes that scientists have already learned that COVID-19 can hurt your brain.
“It’s not necessarily an infection in the brain, but it’s the disruption of blood flow to the brain and the inflammation in the veins and veins that serve the brain that leads to neurological damage,” Haseltine explained. “There is substantial evidence that it occurs.” He said that in addition, scientists know that “COVID-19 causes a lot of blood clots. It is almost equivalent to what happens to the heart-lung machine. That is, it sends up a lot of microclots in various organs. The most important for us in this case is the brain. And you get a lot of micro-clotting in the brain for people who have had severe and severe COVID-19. “He said it’s typical not just for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 , but also for many other viruses.