A significant number of people who have had coronavirus, even after seven months, have problems with memory, multitasking, processing speed and focus.

American scientists have found that coronavirus causes memory problems and mental disturbances even months after the illness.

Researchers at Icahn School of Medicine found that about 24% of people who recovered from COVID-19 continue to experience cognitive difficulties, including problems with memory, multitasking, processing speed and focus. 

For the study, 740 patients signed up for a registry sponsored by Mount Sinai, one of New York’s largest hospital systems that has been treating Covid patients from the beginning of the pandemic.

Patients were between 18 or older, spoke English or Spanish, tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and had no history of dementia when they were tested between April 2020 and May 2021. The findings revealed a reasonably high proportion of cognitive impairment 7.6 months after patients were diagnosed with the condition.

“We’re seeing long-term cognitive impairment across a range of age groups and disease severity,” said Jacqueline Becker – study author.

According to her, the results of the study showed a relatively high level of cognitive impairment even seven months after the illness.

The most widespread cognitive deficit, impacting roughly one in every four patients, was a problem with retaining new memories, which was followed by problems with memory recall. Deficits in cognitive ability and executive functioning, which includes the ability to initiate, plan, start organizing, and make decisions, were also mentioned as issues.

At the same time, problems can arise not only among the elderly, but also among young people. Also, a mild form of the disease does not protect against memory problems. Therefore, Becker recommends screening for mental health problems after infection with the coronavirus as a standard of care, regardless of the patient’s age.

Dr. Helen Lavretsky, professor of psychiatry and director of the University of California Los Angeles Clinic, says some patients are unable to take care of themselves after being discharged from the hospital.

“They cannot function; they can’t think; their memory is impaired; they get confused when they drive places, that they don’t know how they got there,” the doctor describes one of the common problems in patients with coronavirus.

Source: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.30645

Image Credit: Getty

You were reading: A quarter of COVID patients get mental disabilities – scientists