Low levels of oxygen and the effect of the virus on the blood clotting system in the body have also been studied as possible explanations.
Although the findings of the study are significant, Petersen says no unnecessary alarm is needed. Just because you had a coronavirus infection does not mean you are destined to develop neurological or psychiatric problems, he says.
That said, if you start to experience new or unusual symptoms that persist or recur after you have had COVID-19, “it can at least make an inquiry with your personal physician to see if anything is actually brewing. ” Petersen notes that the study also serves as a reminder to healthcare providers to keep COVID-19 “on their radar screen” as a possible contributing factor to serious neurological conditions, such as stroke.
Doctors support the influx of patients with brain-related symptoms
As the total number of COVID-19 cases in the US continues to climb, Sara Manning Peskin, a neurologist at Penn Medicine who works with people experiencing post-COVID-19 brain fog, predicts that the health care system will have an ‘influx’ start seeing. of patients noticing brain-related symptoms after COVID-19. To this end, the authors of the study write that health services ‘must be configured and required to meet this expected need.’
Several hospitals and health systems have set up clinics to treat people who experience persistent effects of COVID-19 – and some specifically treat neurological problems. “There is a huge demand for the clinics because patients are experiencing these experiences and no one knows what to do,” says Manning Peskin.
The NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has also launched a database to keep track of all the neurological symptoms and outcomes of US healthcare providers in coronavirus patients.
To date, there is no specific intervention that prevents COVID-19-related brain issues. That’s why New York-Presbyterian Parikh says it’s important to be “vigilant” and to continue proven mitigation efforts – wear a mask in public, keep at least 6 feet away from others, wash your hands regularly , avoid crowds and poor ventilation spaces, and get a vaccine if available to you.
As for the next steps, experts agree that more research is needed to better understand COVID-19 and the brain – and especially any long-term complications that may result from a coronavirus infection.
“I think [the study published in The Lancet Psychiatry] is good proof that there is an association, ‘says Manning Peskin. “Everyone just wonders what’s actually causing it, and then the next step is to treat it.”