Severe COVID-19 cases may cause cognitive impairment equivalent to aging. Researchers at the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London conducted studies of clients suffering from long COVID-19. Their research found a growing body of evidence that coronavirus can lead to long-term cognitive and mental health issues. The study published in the Journal eClinical Medicine found survivors of severe COVID-19 had cognitive impairments similar to aging that happens between the ages of 5o-70. It gets even worse for those who had been put on ventilators while infected. The study compared 46 patients between the ages of 28-83 who were hospitalized between March 10-July 31, 2021 to more than 66,000 members of the general public. It’s found that cognitive impairments for those with severe COVID persisted six months longer than the norm, with patients improving very slowly if at all. Those recovering from serving COVID infections needed longer-term care for cognitive deficits.
The research continues trying to pinpoint what causes long-term COVID cognitive effects. The body’s inflammatory response and immune system are potential pathways, but researchers need to map these cognitive deficits throughout the body with inflammatory biomarkers. It has been shown that Severe COVID can impair a 20-year-old, seemingly causing aging within their mental capabilities, ultimately losing 10-15 IQ points. IQ loss is much higher in aged patients.
A study of 740 people with no history of memory problems conducted by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai last October 2021 found that many patients treated for severe COVID had high levels of brain fog lasting well over several months after diagnosis. Furthermore, studies have shown that those individuals that were not vaccinated were more likely by 61% to develop long-term COVID symptoms than those vaccinated.
Society has been challenged by a pathogen not willing to leave us in peace. Even if COVID-19 were to disappear from our planet, millions of our neighbors will be suffering from evolving mental health challenges, and long-term symptoms that could be with patients and the societies that are assisting them for many years to come.
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
[email protected]
