With hundreds of thousands of people with COVID-19 admitted to hospital weekly across the globe, worrying new research has been published on the long-term effects of hospitalisation with the virus.
A study from the University of Cambridge estimates the magnitude of cognitive loss is similar on average to that sustained with 20 years of ageing for people between 50 and 70 years of age.
The study’s senior author, Professor David Menon, said two-thirds of people surveyed who had been hospitalised with COVID felt physical function and cognitive impairment 12 months later.
The study reinforces growing evidence that COVID can cause lasting cognitive and mental health problems, with recovered patients reporting symptoms including fatigue, “brain fog”, problems recalling words, sleep disturbances, anxiety and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) months after infection.
“Cognitive impairment is common to a wide range of neurological disorders, including dementia, and even routine ageing, but the patterns we saw – the cognitive ‘fingerprint’ of COVID-19 – was distinct from all of these,” said Prof Menon.
“(COVID) does cause problems with a variety of organs in the body, including the brain and our cognitive function and our psychological health.
“If you can have a vaccine, and all your doses, you will have less severe illness. So, all of these problems are going to be less.”
A good reminder to make sure you are fully vaccinated.
