A recent study highlights alarming neurological effects in individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. Contrary to claims, such as those from relatives on social media suggesting that COVID-19 is merely a variant of the flu, scientific findings indicate a much graver reality. The latest research shows that one in three COVID-19 survivors are left grappling with long-term neurological symptoms and mental health challenges.
Published in Lancet Psychiatry, the study found that 34% of individuals who survived COVID-19 received diagnoses related to neurological or psychological conditions within six months of infection. Specifically, 17% were diagnosed with anxiety disorders, while 14% faced mood disorders, marking the most prevalent neurological symptoms reported.
Researchers observed that those hospitalized exhibited more severe symptoms, but even patients treated in outpatient settings showed significant issues. Maxime Taquet, an academic clinical fellow in psychiatry at the University of Oxford and a co-author of the study, noted that the prevalence of these conditions rose in tandem with the severity of COVID-19 illness—peaking at 39% among hospitalized patients.
Taquet emphasized that brain diseases and psychiatric disorders appear more frequently after COVID-19 compared to flu or other respiratory infections, even when controlling for other risk factors. The study, which included over 236,000 COVID patients, revealed that 44% had an elevated risk of neurological and psychiatric disorders compared to those recovering from the flu. Moreover, the risk was 16% higher than for patients with other respiratory infections.
Interestingly, the study did not find an increased risk for all neurological conditions. “Two significant negative findings were related to parkinsonism and Guillain-Barré syndrome,” Taquet explained. “These conditions, sometimes linked to viral infections, were not found to be more common following COVID-19 compared to other respiratory infections.”
Dr. Alex Johnson, a clinical associate professor in psychiatry at the University of Nottingham, praised the extensive nature of the study. “This is a significant piece of research involving a large cohort, demonstrating the link between COVID-19 and psychiatric and neurological complications,” he noted, addressing the ongoing concerns about COVID-19 as a “brain disease.”
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Summary:
A significant study reveals that one in three COVID-19 survivors suffers from neurological or psychological conditions, with anxiety and mood disorders being the most common. The research indicates a greater prevalence of these issues compared to patients recovering from other respiratory illnesses. The study highlights the need for further investigation into the long-term effects of COVID-19.