Covid-19 has contributed to more than 40 million new cases of neurological disorders worldwide. This is confirmed by a study published in “Nature Medicine” that details that one of the main complications is stroke, cognitive and memory problems, depression, anxiety and migraines.
In addition, ensures this exhaustive analysis carried out by researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis (USA), the post-Covid brain is associated with disorders of movementfrom tremors and involuntary muscle contractions to epileptic seizures, hearing and vision abnormalities, and balance and coordination difficulties, as well as other symptoms similar to those experienced with Parkinson’s disease.
“Our study provides a comprehensive assessment of the long-term neurological consequences of Covid-19,” says lead author Ziyad Al-Aly.
The researchers evaluated 44 brain and neurological disorders among hospitalized and outpatients, including those admitted to the intensive care unit. “The results show the devastating long-term effects of Covid-19. These are part of the persistent Covid. The virus is not always as benign as some believe.
It is important to get vaccinated, but it is also important to understand that they do not offer complete protection against these neurological disorders in the long term.
Aside from having a Covid infection, specific risk factors for long-term neurological problems are few. “We are seeing brain problems in previously healthy individuals and in those who have had mild infections,” says Al-Aly. “It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, female or male, or what your race is. Nor if you have smoked or not, or if you have had other unhealthy habits.
Few people in the study were vaccinated for Covid-19 because the vaccines were not yet available during the study time period, from March 2020 to early January 2021. The data also predates the Delta, Omicron and other variants. of Covid-19.
The researchers analyzed some 14 million medical records not identified from a database maintained by the US Department of Veterans AffairsU., the largest integrated health system in the country. The patients were of all ages, races, and genders.
A previous study also published in “Nature Medicine” and led by Al-Aly found that vaccines slightly reduce – by about 20% – the risk of long-term brain problems. “It’s definitely important to get vaccinated, but it’s also important to understand that they don’t offer complete protection against these long-term neurological disorders,” explains Al-Aly.